When a Plan Fails
by Aetheling
Summary: Beacon is being overrun, and Cinder Fall is atop the tower. Pyrrha has a plan to deal with all this, though. An AU based around Pyrrha surviving the Fall of Beacon.
1. A Simple Plan, a Hard Decision

**A/N:** Hello, and welcome to my story, thank you for giving it a try! I am a huge fan of the ship Arkos, and of both Jaune and Pyrrha in general, so naturally I was quite saddened by the ending of V3. It was excellent! But completely heart-breaking. So, this is my take on a possible alternate series of events. I intend for this to be a multi-chapter story, but can't make promises to have regularly scheduled chapters. My bad, I know I hate that as a reader, but better to give no expectations than to disappoint. I'd like to say thank you to Marvel Fiction, whose "Eclipse (An Arkos and Renora Story) is one of the only "Pyrrha and Jaune survive" stories I'm familiar with. I don;t intend for there to be much in common beyond premise, however. Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy chapter one!

* * *

 **When a Plan Fails**

* * *

Pyrrha's mind was most definitely torn over her current situation. Pyr, the teenage girl, was bubbling mess over the _extremely_ close quarters with the object of her affection. Full body contact with Jaune, his hands around her back, was leaving that part of her mind blushing up a storm. Ms. Nikos, the Beacon student and huntress-in-training was mildly pleased with her partner's technique; Jaune was using his larger, heavier frame in conjunction with the confined space to leave his more skilled opponent no realistic way to get out of the hold, bear hug that it was. There was little technique to it, just a straightforward application of size and strength when a better opponent couldn't avoid it, and straightforward can work. The Invincible Girl, champion fighter and top of her class, was furious at being manhandled by a lesser opponent, and practically frothing at the mouth over being prevented from joining the fight; being stuck in a beginner's hold was embarrassing enough without a real fight being underway. Pyrrha of Team JNPR was unhelpfully snarky, pointing out that there was a _reason_ Jaune had been made team leader. He may have been a mediocre combatant, but Jaune was a fast thinker and could rapidly develop plans for a combat situation.

Pyrrha's own plan had been simple: Kiss Jaune to distract him, push him into that rocket launcher and safety, go fight Cinder Fall until help arrived. It did everything that needed to be done, and straightforward can work. The kissing Jaune part worked. _"Wonderfully"_ , the very unhelpful 'Pyr' added. But that was where the plan broke down. She placed her hands on Jaune's breastplate and apologized before launching him back into the rocket locker. The apology, apparently, tipped her hand, for Jaune had grabbed her arms and the push propelled _both_ of them in. Pyrrha supposed she was still a little off-balance from Part One of the plan herself, as she didn't even move to stop her own fall. The additional weight knocked the askew locker over, and now the grills of the door looked at stone.

So, while Beacon was being destroyed by Grimm, terrorists, and fairy tales, she was stuck in a locker. With her best friend, whose trust she had utterly betrayed about fifteen seconds ago. Yes, parts of Pyrrha were torn about the situation, but the whole were in agreement on a solution.

Get out of this locker this instant.

" _Easier said than done, however"_. After several minutes of struggling, Pyrrha began to feel the equal parts panic and resolve ebb. She couldn't get leverage to pry herself free, she couldn't use her semblance without risk of injuring one of them, and Jaune certainly showed no sign of letting her go. Short of trying to stab her best friend, which she most certainly wasn't going to do, she was stuck. Jaune had won.

She couldn't see his face, her own head over his shoulder and his turned away. But if the minutes of absolute silence on his part hadn't given away the anger, the amount of force he was using probably should. _"He has every right to be angry_ ", Pyr felt the need to point out; she had planned to make him the one thing he hated. Helpless when his friends needed him. "The idiot stuck in a tree" when Beacon needed him most, his team needed him most. She hadn't given that pause, she was thinking about his life, about the lives of everyone at Beacon. She needed to _do_ something, and Jaune was trying to stop her. The Invincible Girl railed at the injustice of it, of being kept from using her abilities. Jaune meant well, but people needed her!

"You aren't invincible." Jaune's words were choked, and her anger quailed before her friend's clear sorrow. He began again, squeezing her into himself.

"You **are not** invincible, Pyrrha. You were going to die. This isn't a tournament fight, or a Grimm, or Team CDRL. You were going to go up that tower, and you were going. To. **Die.** "

"Jau-" He cut her off, bowling over her words.

"Well, I **won't** let you die, Pyrrha. I won't let you kill yourself. I don't understand anything that's happened today, but I do understand my partner is acting like an idiot, and that she was going to get herself killed. Just to make herself feel better! Not happening, Pyrrha Nikos. I won't let you do that. So, I'm going to keep you in here until I'm not the only one _actually thinking here._ We'll stay like this as long as we have to. I'll pass out from exhaustion, and I still won't let you get out. If it takes all day, all week, I'm not letting you out." His pained shouts were losing steam by the end, whispers by her ear.

"I won't let you leave me."

She wanted to tell him that _he_ was being selfish, that _he_ was the one being an idiot. That she could have fought Cinder Fall alone until help arrived. That this was her destiny!

But she couldn't. Because he was right. That woman had defeated the Headmaster, she was leagues and leagues beyond Pyrrha. Ozpin had ordered them to get help, to get Gen. Ironwood or one of Ozpin's circle, and she was going to ignore that and keep Jaune from following through. She wanted to make herself important again, to not be dismissed like she was in the chamber. Dismissed like she was going to do to Jaune. She didn't want to feel helpless.

Pyrrha sagged against Jaune, she started to cry. Quietly, softly. Once the floodgates were open though, it all began to rush. _"I killed Penny. I killed her."_ The memory hit Pyrrha like a truck, and it only got worse from there. _"The headmaster is dead because I wasn't strong enough. The school is being destroyed because I hesitated at first. This is my fault, this is all my fault."_ There were no quiet tears now.

Pyrrha didn't even notice when Jaune went from crushing her in his grip to softly stroking her hair.

* * *

When Pyrrha had begun to quiet again, Jaune managed to fish his scroll from his pocket, sending a message in the JNPR+RWBY group chat: "P & I stuck out tower, come help pls". He didn't want his friends rushing into danger, but if he didn't message them they'd do just that looking for them. That thought made him send another message: "Ozpin said get help to tower: Qrow, Gdwtch, Gen.". He hoped his friends would be able to pass that along, because he was busy.

Pyr needed him.

He had been harsh, harsher than was probably necessary, but he couldn't let her do it, couldn't let her throw herself into danger like that. Grimm were one thing, Pyr could kick any Grimm's ass, but this was another! He was a mess, but he could tell right before she did it that Pyr wasn't much better. So when she said "I'm sorry", he grabbed her. When she was being quick, she always used her semblance in a hard burst, instead of a guided process, and he hoped she would rush this. He'd been right, and they both tumbled into the locker. She would spring out quick as can be, so he crushed her in a basic grab and tried to pull her into a bad position. It'd worked, so all he had to do was ride out her fighting and his emotions.

He was furious, he was hurt, he felt fuzzy all over, but most of all he was scared. He had been scared that any second, Pyrrha would break out of his grip and get herself killed. That she'd get away. That she would leave. When she finally stopped trying to break free, it had all burst from him.

Pyrrha would hate him for this, and she'd hate herself for what was happening. But Jaune knew he'd rather her be alive to hate him than dead liking him. _"She kissed me…"_ , Jaune cut _that_ train of thought off. This was not the time; it may never be the time, now.

A white light briefly, brightly, beamed through the cracks and seams of their locker, before they were returned to darkness. Pyrrha was shaking, and she stirred after the light went out, mumbling half a question.

"I don't know, Pyr."

Silence returned, cold and unhappy. Pyrrha began to cry again, hiccuping slightly with the tears, and Jaune returned to trying to comfort her. Pyrrha had never been like this before, though he certainly understood why, but you tended to learn some things with seven sisters.

* * *

Weiss had found them. It felt like they'd been in the locker for hours. Sun was with her, and he was carrying an unconscious Ruby, of all things. The three came looking for them, but Ruby had seen Qrow go up the tower and followed; Weiss and Sun found her after the flash, unconscious. The two had eventually found the locker as well, letting them out. Jaune hadn't let go of her, at least one arm wrapped around her shoulders since they got out of the locker, as if he expected her to bolt. She wouldn't; he had been right, and it looked as if the fighting was done. The Atlesian robots lay in heaps, and bands of huntsmen & students did battle with pockets of Grimm, making a deliberate retreat towards the Bullhead docks. The fight was over, Beacon was going to be lost.

Weiss kept trying to get her to talk, to explain what happened, but Pyrrha couldn't look her friend in the face. "Pyrrha almost died, Weiss. Now stop." Jaune's voice was firm, almost cold, trying to kill the topic of what had happened in the tower. The group of five traveled in silence after that.

Nora, Ren, Blake, and Yang had all been evacuated to Vale by the time they arrived, and the somber group joined the first outgoing ship they could.

They sat in the Bullhead, shifting as it took off. Sun was staring towards Vale, Weiss was tending to Ruby, Jaune was seated next to her with a death's grip on her shoulder, but Pyrrha was staring at her hands, repeating the same thought over and over.

" _it's all my fault._ "


	2. Picking up the Pieces

**A/N:** Oh hey, chapter two! And released in a vaguely timely fashion! Thanks to all of you who read chapter one; it means a lot to know people are enjoying my work. For those of you just joining in, I'd like to thank you as well for giving my story a try. I released a one-shot between these two chapters, Matchmaker, and if you enjoyed this you may enjoy it and my other stories. But enough shameless plugs, on to chapter two!

* * *

Jaune watched helplessly as Ruby, still comatose, was redirected to the hospital, with Weiss following. He, Sun, and Pyrrha were told to continue on to the Vale Coliseum, where the Huntsmen were encamped. Jaune knew from Sun that Ren & Nora weren't badly wounded, so they would probably be there with Blake, while Yang would be at the hospital. Aura made for an odd relationship between Huntsmen and doctors, but the end result was simple; if a broken femur could heal completely inside two weeks with nothing but a cast and bedrest, Huntsmen didn't get rooms in hospitals. Jaune knew Weiss needed support, needed someone to help her, but he had to see to his own right now; Pyrrha had not spoken more than a few words since the locker.

When they arrived at the rapidly growing tent city, Prof. Peach supplied them with directions to their tents. The poor woman was aging months in minutes, coordinating hundreds of people on the fly. Sun split off to check on his own, while Jaune led Pyrrha to the tent JNPR would be sharing with RWBY. He had hoped bringing Pyr back to the team would lift the sense of dread that seemed to follow them everywhere, that seeing their teammates would relieve Pyr.

It didn't.

Ren was confined to bed, with Nora not even rising from her spot beside him to greet them. She was clearly happy to have them back, but she couldn't leave Ren's side. Blake, though, was a ruin. She sat as far from Nor and Ren as she could, crying softly. Pyrrha was clearly not the only one in distress. Jaune settled Pyr on one of the cots squeezed into the room, sitting next to her before he spoke up.

"How are you doing, Ren?"

His closest, okay only, male friend winced as he spoke: "I should be fine in a few days, mostly aura exhaustion. Though I may need a cast if you keep squeezing my hand, Nora." There was no bite in the comment, Ren was trying to assure his partner he wouldn't drop dead.

Jaune was far too familiar with what Nora was feeling right now. He barely had more control over it than she did. Jaune had to be a leader, he had to see to everyone, but if helping Ren in this meant leaving Pyr, he couldn't do it. He'd have to lead from right next to his partner, for now.

"Blake?" He could snap Blake out of it, at least. Or try.

"Blake!"

She looked up at him, shakily. "Ruby's getting seen to right now, Weiss is with her. Yang is at the hospital too?" She nodded slowly. "Well, the five of us are just going to stay here until they're with us, alright?" She didn't look swayed in the least.

"They are going to be fine, Blake. They are going to pull through, we are all going to pull through." He pulled Pyrrha closer at that. "And you are going to pull through, Blake."

Blake sagged a bit, not in defeat but as if she was putting down a weight. "Okay Jaune… we'll stay here until they're back." She didn't stop crying, but not looking like she would seep through the floor was a good sign.

 _Now for the hard part,_ Jaune braced himself: "Pyr?"

She didn't speak up, didn't look up, but her head turned towards him

"Pyr, it's alright. We're safe now, the team's here. You're going to be okay, too."

"…Jaune" She couldn't get out whatever she needed to say, though, and she still wouldn't look up from her hands. He reached over with his other arm and pulled her into a proper hug. He'd been holding her as much for his own sanity as for hers, but he knew she needed help right now. Needed someone to be there for her so obviously she couldn't avoid it.

"It's alright, Pyr, we're her." He felt her relax, just a little, so he just kept holding on. When he had been scared, this had always helped; he had never imagined Pyrrha scared before, but the solution was an obvious one.

* * *

Pyrrha couldn't keep track of the time, she just let herself stay in the moment as long as it lasted. She felt miserable, she felt like she needed to rush out of wherever they were and start throwing up, but Jaune was helping her stay in control. She could hear Nora and Ren talking, and she felt better knowing there were near and well, but it she felt like the only thing keeping her together were Jaune's arms. Like she'd shatter into a million pieces if he let go.

She hated feeling this weak, hated feeling helpless, but at least she wasn't thinking about… everything else. She started to fall back into the mantra, so she just buried her head into Jaune's hoodie, and tried to listen to anything, everything, besides her own conscious. It was a voice not from her team that pulled her out of her mental maneuvering, though.

"Miss Nikos? Miss Nikos, I need you to accompany me, we must discuss what happened."

She recognized the voice: Miss Goodwitch. She couldn't find her own, but Jaune spoke up.

"Miss Goodwitch, Pyrrha is still recovering, can this wait until tomorrow? Or just a few hours?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Arc. I must know exactly what happened, to the best of Miss Nikos' memory."

"Please, Miss Goo-"

"S'alright, Jaune" she finally managed to get something out, though muffled by her hair and Jaune's shirt, "May Jaune come?"

Miss Goodwitch didn't respond immediately, Pyrrha still couldn't bring herself to look up, but she eventually heard the woman sigh: "Mr. Arc, please help you partner along." Steps away from the entrance.

"…Yes ma'am." She felt a gentle tugging, and she was on her feet again.

"Nora, watch out for Blake and team RWBY. And don't crush Ren, you both need some rest. I'll try and find out about meals on the way back."

"Alrighty, Jaune." The normal cheer wasn't there when Nora responded, but she was making an effort.

Slowly, Pyrrha made her way out of the tent, Jaune beside her, and the two trailed after Prof. Goodwitch. She supposed she had to face a reckoning eventually; at least Miss Goodwitch would make it quick.

The three walked in silence through the bustling, somber crowd, eventually breaking through to one of the various halls beneath the stadium. Miss Goodwitch continue on until they arrived at an office, where she motioned for Pyrrha to enter. When Jaune made to follow her, the professor stopped him.

"Mr. Arc, I have to speak with Miss Nikos alone."

Jaune stood taller at that, and glared at the professor: "Haven't secrets caused enough pain today?" She knew the words weren't for her, but Pyrrha still flinched at them.

"Jaune", the softness in the teacher's voice caught her off-guard, "Someone very dear to me has disappeared, may be dead. You know how I must be feeling. But I need to speak with Pyrrha about what happened, and I need to do it alone. I can't let what you say or feel or do cloud her memory. If I need to know more, I'll talk to you as well, and Pyrrha won't be present for that. You can either wait outside this door, Jaune, or I'll use my semblance to fix you to the ceiling."

"It's alright, Jaune. I can do this." Pyrrha considered that may have been her first proper sentence in hours. She wasn't sure it was the truth, but she knew Jaune needed to hear it. He looked at her as if he could look into her soul, and reluctantly let go of her shoulder.

She felt cold immediately, but she had to do this.

"Alright, Pyr. I'll be right here." With that, Pyrrha stepped in with Miss Goodwitch.

It started off slowly. Pyrrha didn't _want_ to remember that night, didn't _want_ to remember the things she did and almost did. She certainly didn't want to talk about it. Miss Goodwitch wanted answers though, and slowly but surely Pyrrha began to talk.

She described what she saw in the last moments of her fight with Penny, the pressures of success piled on her own fears of the previous week. Her freezing after it happened, and only snapping out once Jaune charged her. She narrated through the fight for Beacon, and her being drawn off by the headmaster. To the chamber.

She worked her way slowly through that part. The pain and fear of her moments in the device, of feeling when Amber died through whatever tenuous bond they had. Through she and Jaune's retreat form the chamber at Ozpin's orders.

Pyrrha did not keep control of herself when she discussed her "plan". She left out kissing Jaune, Miss Goodwitch didn't need that, but she told her the rest, through the tears. Miss Goodwitch had laid a hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to continue.

It wasn't Jaune, but it would have to do.

She finished, relaying what Sun and Weiss had told them of Qrow and Ruby's actions, though she had no idea what any of it meant. The professor's face had never changed through her story, but she looked pained when she mentioned Qrow's ascension of the tower.

When she finally finished at the Bullheads, Pyrrha fell silent. Miss Goodwitch was looking off, no doubt turning the whole series of events over in her head, trying to find something, but Pyrrha already knew it.

"It's my fault, professor."

This brought her head up: "Pardon, Miss Nikos?"

"What's happened, this is all my fault. Had I accepted the Fall Maiden powers sooner, this wouldn't have happened. Had I not fallen for the illusion in my fight, this would not have happened. If I was strong enough to help the headmaster, this wouldn't have happened!" She hadn't realized she was shouting by the end until she stopped. Miss Goodwitch looked at her with such sorrow, Pyrrha had to look away. Still, she felt the woman sit closer to her beside the small table.

"Oh, Pyrrha. Pyrrha this is not your fault; the headmaster, or Qrow, or Gen. Ironwood, or myself could have done dozens of things differently and this would not have happened either. What happened tonight is _our_ fault, the fault of people in a position of power. It is most certainly not the fault of a first-year student who was pulled into this a week ago.

"What has happened is awful, terrible. I do not know if Beacon and Vale can ever fully recover from this. But I do know that none of the blame for this is on you. Don't hate yourself for this, Pyrrha."

"Why shouldn't I? I…I have nothing now. Beacon is gone, the world saw me kill a friend, my team hates me!"

She heard the older woman rise from her seat and walk towards the door. "Pyrrha, I need to you look up at me." Pyrrha did so, and Miss Goodwitch lifted the blinds from the door's window. Jaune was standing sentinel outside it, and at the sound of the blinds he whipped around to look inside. His face was equal parts panic and determination, but seeing Pyrrha caused him to ease. The blinds dropped back down, and Pyrrha turned her attention to her teacher.

"That. Is most certainly not 'hate', Pyrrha. I would gladly pound it into your skull that these past events are not your fault, but I suspect someone is already at work." The exasperation in her teacher's face gave way to a small smirk as she spoke, before she returned to the chair next to Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha, dear; do not hold blame so closely. What we have all been through is difficult, but I must tell you again that you may not blame yourself. And that you must reach out to your friends. Let Jaune and Ren and Nora help you. And help them in return. We will all need our loved ones in the days to come." She smiled at Pyrrha then, though Pyrrha could tell it was forced, the woman was trying to calm her.

"Now, go join your team leader and take some meals back to your tent. Food and water is being dispensed a few halls from here."

"Yes, ma'am." Pyrrha rose on unsteady legs, heading for the door. She stopped to face her mentor, though. "Miss Goodwitch?"

"Yes, Pyrrha?"

"…thank you."

"I have done nothing that deserves a thank you, Pyrrha. But please, take care of yourself."

Pyrrha gave a weak nod, but she turned to leaving with a strength in her step she had not felt before. When she stepped outside and Jaune stepped close, she didn't feel like he was holding all the pieces together anymore.

That didn't mean she wanted him to let go, though.


	3. Sleep it Over

**A/N:** Two chapters in a single week? I'm on a roll! I got taken up by one of the scenes, and ended up finishing the chapter around it. Not to be the downer, but just a reminder that I can't promise regular updates on this. But thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you enjoy chapter three!

This one's for you, Bad-Luck-Charm, because I bet you thought I was kidding.

* * *

Jaune wasn't sure what the professor had told Pyr, but he knew he'd have to thank her about a million times; the Pyrrha that came out of the interview might not have been at 100 percent, but she didn't look like she could barely walk anymore. They made their way, with the professor's instructions, down to the cafeteria and collected food for eight. The walk there and back to the tent was silent, but Jaune didn't feel like the quiet was crushing him to the floor this time, so that was a good sign.

Returning to their shared space, Pyrrha was herself enough this time to actually greet Nora, still doting over Ren, as well as look over to Blake. Blake hadn't left her spot in the corner, but she hadn't returned to the ruinous state she had been in when he first arrived, so Jaune counted it half a victory.

"Brought some food, guys. Did we miss anything?" Jaune carried a tray over to his teammates, but Pyrrha surprised him by going to sit by Blake, he joined his partner beside their distraught friend.

"Prof. Peach came by to ensure we were settled, and a medic running checks on the students, but nothing serious." Ren supplied.

"Any word on…", Jaune immediately regretting trying to ask about RWBY, he knew he couldn't put it a right way. Blake was the one who spoke up, however.

"Weiss messaged me, told me Ruby is still in examinations. Nothing on- on Yang." She choked on her partner's name, and Pyrrha rested a hand on her back.

The tent fell into silence again as the five ate their meals, and while Jaune was content to give everyone a break, he knew they'd have to keep an eye on Blake.

She was reminding him of Pyrrha, right before the locker.

The five spent the last hours of the day in an uneasy mood. Ren, Nora, and Jaune tried to talk about what would come next, make plans for the coming days, while Pyrrha remained firmly seated beside Blake. Late into the evening, there was a knock on the tent post, quickly followed by a pair of medics with a stretcher.

Yang was back.

She was in a hospital gown, tubes running to solutions and blood bags hooked to her, and bandages covered the end of her left arm. The moment she had been set down, Blake was beside her, checking every inch of her teammate, but refusing to look at the arm. Blake had eased over the evening, but the sight of her partner wound her right back up. She took Yang's hand in her own, staring at her partner's face.

Jaune didn't know what to do. Blake was clearly troubled, but maybe holding onto Yang would help her? Remind her that her friend, while hurt, was still with them, still alive. Pyrrha had not risen with Blake, watching in silence like the rest of JNPR. He put his own hand on her back, as Pyr had for Blake, to remind himself.

"How are you feeling, Pyr?" He didn't know how to help Blake, but everyone staring would just unnerve her.

Pyrrha turned to him with some effort and met his eyes briefly before looking down. "I'm… doing better, Jaune. Speaking with Prof. Goodwitch was difficult, but it helped."

"That's good."

…

"Pyrrha, I don't really understand what happened today, but I don't need to understand. I, I just need you to be alright. If you need to talk, if you need anything, I'll be right beside you."

It sounded right in his head, but Jaune started to panic when Pyrrha started to shake a little. He was about to start apologizing for the next month when Pyrrha scooted closer, wrapped him in a hug, and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you." She got out between sniffles, "Thank you so much, Jaune."

* * *

Just as the group were preparing for bed, another set of medics arrived, this time bearing Ruby. Weiss was right behind them, taking quick note of the group. Blake hadn't left Yang's side, instead claiming the cot next to her friend. Pyrrha could admit she and Blake had never been very close, but their group of eight was inextricably bound together; even a distant friendship with Blake was closer than most of her old ties in Mistral had been. But watching Blake with Yang scared Pyrrha. She was worried Blake would do something foolish. _"Like go off to fight someone far above her ability?"_ No, she couldn't let her mind drag her down! She had to get back in control. Weiss was sitting across from Blake now, between the two sisters.

"She's medicated right now, but Yang should be awake tomorrow, Blake."

The faunus girl said nothing. Weiss eyed her, but addressed the whole tent.

"They don't know what's wrong with Ruby. She should be perfectly fine, they said. Someone has to keep an eye on her, just in case."

Jaune spoke up from the cot next to Pyrrha: "We'll take turns watching her; with six of us, no one will have to stay up long."

An order was hashed out easily enough, and the friends began to call it a night, Weiss taking first watch.

Pyrrha had always been a light sleeper, and no amount of physical and emotional wear seemed to hamper that trait. Normally this was a problem when you shared rooms with other people, especially when their sleeping habits were so dramatically different. Tonight, however, Pyrrha was relieved that the sounds had woken her. Without rising from her spot, she quietly called out: "Blake?"

The shuffling froze, and Pyrrha knew she had hit her mark. She sat up in bed, looking towards where she had heard the noise.

"Blake, can I speak with you?"

A hard silence followed that, but eventually it was broken: "Okay."

"I… I nearly died yesterday, Blake. I didn't realize how close I was until I stopped to think about it, but I nearly died. It wasn't the idea of dying that hurt most though, Blake. It was the thought that I betrayed Jaune, betrayed my team by trying to go fight alone."

No response.

"Jaune saved me from myself. He can be difficult: he's bad with people, he's stubborn, and he has terrible fashion." No laughter, but it was worth a try, "That wasn't the first time Jaune has saved me, though. I owe him so much, I owe him so much for the happiness having him has brought me. And hearing the hurt in his voice after I turned my back on him nearly crushed me."

A quiet noise as something fell onto a cot.

"I was scared and I was angry, at myself and at the people that did this, and I acted rashly. I thought what I was doing was for the best.

"But Jaune saved me, again. I'm still scared, I'm still angry. I've lost so much, but… I still have them. If I have Nora and Ren and Jaune, I think I'll be alright. I know they wouldn't be were I gone."

Pyrrha prayed she was right, prayed her words would work.

"… It's my fault, Pyrrha. It's _my fault_ Yang is hurt. They'd be better off without me!" The harsh words cut oh so close.

"I kept telling myself this was my fault as well, Blake. I still think it is, really. Jaune won't let me go, though." Even asleep, her partner had a hand stretched out towards her cot.

"My team cares about me, and your team cares about you. People are dead because of me, Blake, and they still don't want me gone. Do you really think Yang wants you to leave?"

Silence again.

"Ask her in the morning, Blake. If you think she wants you gone, if you think any of us want you to leave, then stay until the morning and ask. I know I want you to stay." Pyrrha laid back down, pulling Jaune's hand into her own, like the lifeline it was. "Sleep well, Blake. The eight of us are going to be busy together tomorrow."

Pyrrha froze at the sound of footsteps in the tent, but she barely suppressed a cheer when she heard "Nora, your shift. I need to sleep."

* * *

Nora's cheery "good mornings" woke Jaune up, as they had for the last eight months.

The muffled "Shut it!" from outside the tent suggested more than her friends had heard.

Laughing quietly, Jaune sat up in his cot to look over his friends. Nora was hopping from foot to foot over Ren, who seemed to be himself again and in a zombie-like state. Pyrrha was burying herself farther into her blankets, trying to stave off the day. _"She knows she won't go back to sleep, but she'll try anyway."_ The thought brought a smile to his face, but Jaune knew his duty.

He grabbed the blanket wrapped around his submerged hand and flung it back.

"Nooooo," his partner whined, "Jaune, you traitor." She was curled up in a ball now, but Jaune knew consciousness had won.

Weiss was up as well, checking on Ruby. The younger girl was still asleep, which clearly worried Weiss, but she was in control of herself. Blake was stirring from her bed, looking very haggard; bad dreams weren't surprising after yesterday.

But it was the eighth person in their group that had his attention, now. Yang was up. She was blinking blearily, slouched over on her cot. With a jolt, Yang's hand flew to her other arm, and she froze. Everyone else did too, when the girl gasped.

Blake was beside her in an instant, hands on Yang's shoulders. "Yang, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! This is all-" her words were cut off when an arm and a stump wrapped around her and pulled her into a hug.

"I was so scared!" his fellow blonde wailed, "I thought I was going to lose you!" Blake looked like she had been hit over the head with a brick rather than received a hug.

"Yang… Yang your arm…"

She didn't answer, she just held Blake closer. Blake eventually returned the hug, and the two held on for a full minute, the others dead quiet. Eventually, they broke apart, and Yang's eyes fell on her sister.

"Rubes?" She was moving to Ruby now, more than a little fear in her eyes. Yang went to sit down, but reached out with her missing hand to break her fall. Weiss caught her, and for a long second, Yang just stared at her arm, but she wrenched her eyes back to Ruby.

"We found her unconscious by the tower, she's been this way since yesterday." Weiss began, "The doctors say there's nothing wrong with her, she just won't wake up." Yang nodded slowly. She moved her sister's head onto her lap and began to stroke her hair; the whole scene reminded Jaune of his own sisters, but was far more saddening than those memories.

"It's weird. I should be freaking out right now, how am I so calm?"

No one could answer Yang.

"I need you to wake up, Rubes." Yang whispered to her sleeping sister, "I need you to wake up, so I know you're okay. So I know I'm okay."

Blake had pulled herself together, and moved to sit down beside Yang. Team RWBY gathered around their sleeping leader. He was worried for them, worried for all his friends. They would pull through this, though. He just had to keep believing they would.

Jaune stood up, and motioned towards his own team. As JNPR rose from their beds, he addressed RWBY: "We'll get some breakfast and bring it back here, cool?" the sister team nodded in agreement, Weiss giving a quiet "thank you". As JNPR stepped out, Jaune leaned over to Pyrrha.

"How ya doin', Pyr?"

She smiled, and lightly punched Jaune in the side. "I was doing better before I was so rudely woken."

He smiled back, this was a good sign. "Well, a leader has to look out for his team, right? Who's gonna save Ren from Nora if you sleep all day?" Nora looked like she was debating carrying Ren to the food halls, just to be sure he didn't tax himself. Ren let out a weak "Save me, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha laughed a little, but she grew more serious. "I am doing better, Jaune. Thank you. I know what you'll say, but I still feel responsible for so much of what's happened. Beacon's gone as well, I don't know what we're going to do." Her head fell as she spoke, walking slowly beside him.

Jaune nudged Pyrrha with his shoulder, making her look back up. "Pyrrha, none of this is your fault. As for what we're going to do? We've got some plans, but we're going to make it through whatever comes our way as a team."

"Whatever comes our way is what concerns mem, Jaune. Things have been... well, crazy."

"Crazy adventures is kinda RWBY's thing, JNPR has to settle for regular whatevers."

"Jaune, the headmaster offered to give me powers from a fairy tale, but we were interrupted by the largest terror attack in decades." Pyrrha was trying to be serious, he could tell.

"Really? I don't want to think about what the new level of 'crazy adventures' is for RWBY now; normal just got a lot harder." Pyrrha laughed so hard she started to snort.

They would all pull through.

* * *

 **Post notes:** So yeah, next big change in the AU! Blake's running away is something I find interesting; Yang says Blake didn't leave until everyone was in the city, but in this situation, she's not alone when that happens. If Jaune, Nora, and Ren are all in better states, not to mention Pyrrha, I don't know if Blake gets away clean. I also feel like Pyrrha and Blake have a lot of parallels in this story, which should be obvious from their talk. I do not have personal experience with major trauma, but I based Yang's response to waking off her behavior in the V3 finale; she shows very little emotion through the first half of her talk with Ruby, and detachment is a known response.

Feel bad if you laughed at that word choice.

Now, just because the gang isn't broken up now, doesn't mean it'll be all sunshine and rainbows.


	4. All Quiet on the Home Front

**A/N:** Aaaaand we're back! For the record, I now realize it would've made more sense for me to have just held chapter 3 until a week later, instead of releasing it upon completion. But, I've never been one for things like "logical planning". You should have seen my essays back in the day! This was a really tough chapter for me, for reasons I'll explain in post, which was part of the reason there was such a delay. By the way, is it "Valean" or "Valish"? "Valelander"? Well, enough of this, please enjoy chapter four!

* * *

What little good spirits JNPR recovered from their morning were soon challenged; the mood of the camp was rightfully oppressive. Students and full Hunters alike seemed to move in a daze, trying to come to grips with what happened the other night. Jaune passed more than one student simply sitting on the arena field, staring off into nowhere. He spotted Team BRNZ, short one, frantically pestering a soldier in a Valish uniform. Jaune didn't recall seeing BRNZ during the battle, but he hoped their missing member was alright. Despite everything they had gone through, for a little while this morning everything had felt normal. Now that he had to return to the real world, Jaune decided it would be best for everyone if they could get some of that cheer back.

Fetching breakfast for RWBY and themselves went easily enough, though no one was looking forward to a meal of emergency rations and whatever could be thrown together in a few hours. Turning back for the tent, Jaune drew his team's attention.

"So, we should probably get rolling on what we're going to do after now."

Pyrrha perked up at this: "Do we have a plan, Jaune?" It was good to see her engaging; Jaune was afraid the mood out here would send Pyr back into a funk. He nodded quickly before restarting.

"First, we have to figure out if there's anything we can do for Beacon. Grimm are all over the school, but with this many Hunters and soldiers, they may be planning to take it back. We'd need to talk it over, but I'd be up for joining that."

The quick nods from his team were hardly surprising.

"If we're doing that, we'd stay here in Vale. But if they don't want us, or if they aren't doing anything soon, then we may want to get out of the city. Just sitting around, we're a drain on resources: housing, food, even personnel. If we leave, then we have to have a game plan for that." The next part was the rough spot for Jaune.

"The CCT is down, which means transport out of the kingdom will be spotty. If we can't stay in Vale, or at least this camp, then we could go stay with my family. I think Yang and Ruby's dad would be willing to take us in, too, but between both of them, that's already a lot to deal with. So, either we head up to Bar, or see if a ship could take us out to Patch. We'd be near Vale in both cases, just in case they want us back."

"While I think staying with RWBY would be nice, Bar does seem the easier option." Once Ren made his position known, Nora jumped right behind him. "Yeah, and we get to meet your family, Jaune!" Jaune wasn't exactly pleased with that, but he supposed he couldn't hide from his sisters for the rest of his life. Pyrrha was a little more familiar with the whole deal from their post-training talks, but she simply nodded to him. She'd wanted him to straighten this out anyway.

"Right. I'll check with the professors to see if they want us to stay, and if not, we'll head for Bar." He let out an exaggerated sigh, and held the tent flap open for his team.

Yang, Blake, and Weiss were still hanging around Ruby, who slumbered on her cot. JNPR delivered the food, and Jaune sat down across from his fellow blonde. "Hey Yang?" She was slow to respond, but Yang looked up from her sister. She still looked awful, but her pallor was improving.

"Yeah Jaune?"

"I'm gonna go see the professors, see if they want the students from round Vale to stay here or head back home. The four of us want to try and help with Beacon, but we're gonna go to my home in Bar if they'd like us out of the city. You guys should probably go to Patch, and you should call your dad. He needs to know if you're OK."

Yang looked terrified at the prospect of calling her father, and Jaune could understand with Ruby just sleeping there, but eventually she got control of herself. "I… yeah, yeah you're right. Blake, can you lend me… can you help me?" Jaune, and everyone in the room, winced at Yang's miscue. Blake was by her in a second, fishing a scroll out and entering the number Yang gave her. Jaune had already stood, nodded to his team, and was heading back out.

Over his shoulder, he heard a panicked man: "Yang? Yang are you alright!? Is Ruby?"

"Hi, Dad. We're… we're not alright, but we are here."

Today was off to a rough start.

* * *

He managed to get directions to where the teachers were coordinating everything, and knocked on the office door. Shortly after, Prof. Port swung it wide. "Mister Arc? Come in, my boy! Is there something I can help you with?" Jaune stepped in, and nodded politely to Prof. Goodwitch, Dr. Oobleck, and a man in a Valish military outfit.

"Yes, professor. My team and I want to know if the staff want us here. If there was anything we could help with. I don't know what's going to happen with Beacon, but JNPR is willing to help. But if you don't want us along, then I'd like to know if my team would be allowed to leave Vale. They're busy right now, but I wanted to ask the same for Team RWBY as well."

"Leave the city? Why, whatever for?"

"My team will be well physically, sir. But this camp isn't exactly the best place for us emotionally." Goodwitch seemed to understand what he meant, and spoke up before Port could continue.

"Thank you for offering to help, Jaune; it says a great deal about JNPR's character that you would be willing to join the fray. But, it is the opinion of the Beacon staff and the Valish military that the younger students not be further entangled. You have our blessing to head out of Vale, and do take care of yourselves."

"Thanks, professor. If you change your minds about the students, can you give us a ring? It'd mean a lot to us to get back in there." Goodwitch nodded at that, and Port was positively beaming. As Jaune started to leave, the officer spoke up.

"Pardon me, but you're Jaune Arc?" _"Well, that's not a good sign_. _"_

"Uh, yes?"

"Lt. Crimson, Valish Army. Mr. Arc, are you related to Col. Arc, by chance?" _"Yup, not a good sign"._

"Yes, he's my father." The lieutenant nodded at that. "Your father was called back up to active duty, Jaune, and I believe he's on his way here. I just thought you should know."

"Thank you, sir, I appreciate the news." Jaune really didn't, but now wasn't the time. He stepped out of the office and fished his scroll from his pocket. Rolling down the contacts, he found the name he was looking for.

 **Mom – Blocked**

Jaune made a few alterations, then called the number.

" _This is definitely going to be a rough day_."

* * *

Pyrrha was quite grateful when Yang's harrowing call home was completed. Listening to her friend explain the situations at Beacon and on her own team had been excruciating. Today had started off so well, too. For a few moments it was like nothing had happened at all, but reality had crushed back down on them. Nora, at least, was going to try and beat back the gloom. Her friend had taken a seat next to Yang, animatedly yet quietly babbling away at the blonde, clearly trying to work a smile from her. Weiss and Ren were going over what must have been their third inspection of the teams' supplies, while she and Blake were seated silently beside the entrance.

She felt a nudge on her elbow, and Blake spoke quietly enough that the others wouldn't hear. "Thank you, Pyrrha. Thank you so much."

"You weren't yourself last night, I understand. You don't need to thank me, Blake, friends look out for another." Pyrrha lightly bumped her shoulder into Blake, and Blake bumped back.

"They do, don't they? I've never been good at facing my problems, everyone probably knows that by now. I need to change, Pyrrha, for them. I've relied on Yang and Ruby so much since I came here, I'm going to be there for them now."

"I don't know yet what we'll be doing, but even if we leave, don't be afraid to reach out. Bar and Patch would only be a few days away by boat, and that's the farthest we could go. I'm assuming you all would head to Patch?"

"Probably the best, yes. Yang and Ruby's father obviously wants them home, and we don't have the funds to stay in Vale anyway. Are you sure JNPR doesn't want to come along too?"

"We wouldn't want to impose on Mr. Xiao Long, and we can't afford to stay at a hotel indefinitely. Besides, Jaune's family will want to see him just as much as Yang and Ruby's, and we've never gotten to meet them. I'm sure we'll visit you though, and in-kingdoms calls are still up, even if the signals are weak."

Nora hopped up, dragged Ren over, and then started shaking him violently in front of Yang. This was apparently the punchline, as Yang began to laugh. It wasn't her normal thunder, it was hesitant and soft, but it lifted Pyrrha's spirits to hear regardless. Blake was staring at her partner, though.

"She won't be all the way back until she knows Ruby is fine. Even then, I don't know if Yang will ever really be herself. I've seen what injuries like this can do to people before…" Pyrrha knocked Blake's shoulder again, this time with more force, catching the girl's attention.

"Which is exactly why _you're_ here, Blake. I speak from fresh experience when I say having a friend near will help."

"Oh? 'A friend' near? Weren't you and Jaune stuck in a locker all night, the other day? Is it still 'just friends' for you two?" Pyrrha blushed horrendously at that, and cursed herself for it. Yang may have been the most vocal of them, but Blake was certainly not above teasing.

"Now… probably isn't the best time for me to deal with that, Blake." Darn it, she was only trying to cheer Blake up! Pyr, girl with a crush, was fluttering off again, while The Invincible Girl was rearing her ugly head over failing to fight.

"Pyrrha, he's taking you to meet his family; that's usually an endorsement for a relationship! And so soon too, are we going to go dress shopping?" _"Oh, not that! That was supposed to be private!"_

"Yang!" Pyrrha shouted in indignation, "You told Blake about the shopping trip? You said that was between us!" Yang, who had been helping Weiss prepare an IV bag for Ruby, was completely caught off guard.

"Uhhh?" Blake was outright laughing now, which was only about ten times worse, and then Pyrrha saw Weiss biting her lip, repressing a smile as she worked.

"You told WEISS TOO!?"

Blake reached across her body to grab her other arm, mocking Pyrrha's nervous habit: "You don't think it's too much, do you? I know you're better at this sort of thing, but I'm not trying to force the issue!" Weiss started giggling, and Yang finally seemed to register the fact she was in mortal danger.

"Sorry, Pyrrha, it just kinda slipped out?"

Weiss puffed up her chest before looking sternly at Blake: "P-Money, at this rate, _I'll_ force the issue for you." Blake buried her head in mock embarrassment. Ren was just shaking his head, while Nora had a _very_ worrisome glint in her eyes.

Pyrrha wasn't sure where, but she knew they'd never find the bodies.

She'd get Jaune to help, it would be a bonding experience.

"Ahem." Pyrrha fired upright at the cough outside their tent, whirling to face whatever new horror the world had decided she had earned. "Oh, yes? You can come in!"

A man in an officer's uniform pushed open the heavy flaps. He was tall and lean, almost lanky. Buzzed blond hair going white most places, and he stared at them with unnerving intensity. "Is anyone here with team JNPR?" Ren and Nora moved up beside Pyrrha at this point, "The three of us are, sir. Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie." He nodded curtly at each of their introductions.

"A pleasure to meet you, I am Nicholas Arc. Please, where is my son?"

* * *

Dun dun duh! OCs! I am torn on the issue of original characters, but ones based off implied in-world characters (Such as the Arc family) are easier to deal with. I will try and keep them restrained, as too many authors go crazy with them, IMO. Speaking of the Arcs, I've never been a fan of Jaune's family being depicted as Huntsmen; why would Jaune be so utterly unfamiliar with the basics of Huntsman-ing if it is a generational job? The military offers Jaune "hero ancestors" without the burden of the Hunter tradition. And yes, I'm borrowing some names from Coeur Al'Aran. At this point, if Mr. Arc isn't named Nicholas in canon, I'll just be mad.

The hardest part of this chapter was actually the decision on where to send the crew: i bounced between everyone going to Patch, keeping the gang together and avoiding OCs, or to Jaune's home, reducing the number of major players in the story and also keeping some realism in room & board. Ultimately, this story is about JNPR, so some distance from the RWBY drama is needed. We got dat JNPR drama to deal with, after all.

I don't know if I've previously mentioned this, but this story is somewhat organic, taking shape as I go. It will not be a rewrite of V4, however; I intend for this to take place within the time skips, even if plot is altered.


	5. Family Matters

**A/N:** Aaaaand we're back! Sorry for the delay on this. I was struck with an idea I eventually had to put down, but not before burning writing time. So, the story will be dealing with change of scenery and some additions to the cast; please let me know how I do in the coming chapter. I can't improve if I don't know what needs improving, after all. I'll have a bit more in post, which I think may become a more regular feature, Thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter five!

This one goes out to A Stereotypical Gamer. I started writing because of you, and even if you published a Ninjas of Love fic while I was in the middle of writing one, you're still a writer I respect. Ya bastard.

* * *

It took his mother about ten minutes to finally accept that yes, Jaune was not harmed. Clair Arc had straight blonde hair, kept tied back in a bun, and clearly showed signs of having raised eight children. More than a few of the lines on her face were no doubt his fault; probably the ones she was reinforcing during this call. "Jaune, I know I'm repeating myself, but I have every right: I was terrified! Your father sprinting out of his office, telling me the school our boy is at was attacked by terrorists? I have every right to be worried."

"I know, Mom, but I'm alright. You don't need to keep worrying, I'm safe." His mom clearly wanted to counter that, probably with _"Beacon was safe"_ or something, but decided not to beat the dead horse.

"So, what happens now, Jaune? What are you going to do?"

"I've talked with the professors, and they'd like the younger students to disperse. We're a drain on resources, and probably not really in the best mood for not attracting Grimm. My team is all from Anima, so we're planning on coming home to Bar." His mother brightened at the news. "I didn't want to show up with three guests without calling, and you needed to know I'm okay."

He could already tell his mother, masterly matron, was already planning how to take care of his team. "Three people?" He nodded, "Give me some details, honey. I'll not let anyone think little of Arc hospitality."

"One boy, two girls. They're Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha. Ren and Nora are from Anima, and are about night and day; one of the girls should pick up some tea for Ren, and we'll need to put the non-decaf in a locked cabinet to stop Nora. Pyrrha's Mistrali, and would be too polite to complain if we made her sleep in a tub. Pyrrha's allergic to peanuts, but no other big food things with us. Our room is co-ed, so you don't need to get two rooms ready, Mom. The four of us could just pile into Rogue and I's room."

His mother nodded along contently, until she heard "co-ed". "Oh, don't worry, honey. Blanche stayed the night last night, so Nora and Pyrrha can just take her old room. That won't be a problem." She spoke with such conviction, Jaune was unsure whether it was a threat or not.

"We'll probably be in tomorrow or the day after, I haven't check on the airship schedule yet. Wait, Blanche? What's Blanche doing at home, wasn't she stationed up in Vytal?"

"She's part of the emergency redeployment to Vale. She flew in on a redeye, and now she's waiting for pick-up along with a couple hundred others. The town's bursting with people right now; Mr. Green probably kept the diner open through the night, and town hall is an emergency barracks right now. But they'll be heading into Vale soon enough, don't worry about space, Jaune."

"Thanks Mom, I really appreciate this. Look, I'm about to get to my tent, so I have to go. I love you."

His mother smiled warmly: "I love you too Jaune. Say hello to your father for me, and stay safe."

He hung up, and paused outside his tent, going back over the talk.

 _Well, that went pretty well!_ He knew his mother wasn't _happy_ about him going to Beacon, he honestly expected a very longwinded "I told you so" after she knew he wasn't hurt. He had the grim thought that the attack on Beacon apparently had that silver lining.

Jaune ducked in and promptly started speaking. "I just called home, and we're expect-" He promptly stopped speaking when he noticed their guest. His father, Col. Nicholas Arc, was standing in the middle of the tent, his team lined up like troops on parade, and RWBY looking very uncomfortable behind them. His father turned his head and eyed Jaune for a long moment.

Neither man moved, no one did.

In two great steps, Jaune's father had wrapped him in a crushing hug. "I was so worried, son", his father whispered in his shoulder, gripping tighter for a few moments. Jaune was caught off guard for a moment, but soon gripped the older man just as tight. After a moment, however, Jaune and his father stepped back from each other, his father's arms on his.

"Jaune, are you alright? I got here as soon as I could. The situation is far worse than I thought."

Jaune, still somewhat surprised, snapped back into himself. "I'm okay, Dad. We," and he waved towards his friends, "didn't have it easy, but we're still here. I called Mom, too, don't worry." His father nodded at that.

"I arrived a few moments ago, we had just started introductions." A polite cough from behind them. Jaune noticed the mild panic on Pyrrha's face, and confusion on _WBY. He turned his father to face everyone.

"Guys, this is my dad, Colonel Nicholas Arc. Dad, these are Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose of team RWBY, my teammates Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren, and my partner Pyrrha Nikos." His friends offered various weak smiles and restrained hellos, save for Nora's dramatic wave. His father was currently zoned in on Yang and Ruby, however.

Clear concern was painted on his father's face as he stepped up next to Yang: "How is she, Miss Xiao Long?"

Yang seemed hesitant, but spoke up: "She's in some kind of coma, we don't know what's wrong. The docs can't find anything wrong with her…"

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope both of you make sound recoveries. Things will turn out, trust me." Yang just nodded, returning to watching over her sister. His father stayed by Yang for a few more moments, before standing back up to face Jaune's team. Switching from his "Father of seven girls voice" to his "Commanding officer voice", he addressed Pyrrha.

"Miss Nikos, I do hope my son hasn't been too much trouble?"

Pyrrha, to Jaune's distress, had a hard time meeting his father's eyes. "Jaune saved my life not three days ago, sir." That certainly caught his old man's attention, who shot him a quick glance. Before they could delve deeper, however, Nora took the lead.

"Nice to meet ya, Mr. Arc! Jaune's a great team leader, thanks for lending him to us!" Jaune had to admire his teammate, she didn't intend to let everything weigh her down without a fight. Ren did not speak, simply nodding at Nora's statement.

"Well, it's good to hear you've been doing well, Jaune." His father loosened a bit out of the officer routine at his friends' words. "I'm sorry, son, I don't have much time, but is there anything I should know? Anything I can do?" Duty called, of course. Jaune could hardly be upset about that, given the circumstances.

"Uh, Professor Goodwitch can tell you everything about _Beacon_ , but my team is planning to head home to Bar. We were gonna try and catch a ride out tomorrow, maybe the day after." His father waved that aside, though.

"I can get you out tonight. I assume your mother told you about Blanche?" He nodded. "You can take the flight picking her up out to Bar. I have to get to a meeting or ten, but once I'm free I'll take care of transport and come see you. We can talk properly, then." His father hesitated for a moment, but went to hug Jaune again. He embraced his father one more time, before Nicholas stepped back to face the group.

"Thank you all, for my son's safety. Good Luck." A chorus of goodbyes, and Nicholas Arc was off.

Jaune turned to face his friends. "Sooo, that's my dad."

* * *

Pyrrha felt her panic seep out when Jaune's father left their tent, nearly sagging back onto her bed.

The man had been kind, albeit concerned, when Jaune had been present, but Col. Arc looked prepared to tear Vale down around him prior to his son's arrival. The man's arrival and burning eyes were a reminder to Pyrrha that there was something _wrong_ in the world beyond her friends' troubles, a reminder that something _terrible_ had happened.

Even with Yang and Ruby's conditions, she'd almost forgotten that, hidden behind her friends. She had almost made herself ignore the troubles weighing on them. Mr. Arc was a new dose of reality.

"He seems like a good man." Yang spoke up from her spot by Ruby. Pyrrha realized Jaune was staring at her then, but he broke off to look at Yang.

"Comes with raising so many kids. You look like an Arc, too. Sorry about that, guys, I wanted to catch my dad before he ran into you all." Jaune headed to his cot, next to her, and made to check on what little gear he had.

"You alright, Pyr?" He whispered, digging through his half-empty bag. She just nodded, trying to collect herself.

"He can be gruff, I know, but it's alright, he," Jaune stopped and she could feel his eyes on her. "It's not about him?" She just nodded again. Jaune stood up, and gave her a light hug, which she returned with a bit more force. "It's not your fault, Pyrrha."

She found her voice eventually: "I know, it's just… having an angry soldier barge in and turn out to be a scared father is terrifying. I felt sick the whole time Yang was talking to her father, and then _your father_ showed up, and it's been a bit too much." She let go of him, and took a few deep breaths. Ren had tried teaching the whole team some of his calming exercises before their first mission, and she decided now would be a good time to try them again.

While she calmed herself, Jaune went back to searching through his things. "Like I was saying, I called home, let them know to expect us. We don't exactly have a lot of baggage, so we don't need to worry about losing stuff." Ren chuckled a little at that. "Yang, Blake, Weiss? I didn't plan on leaving you guys so soon, but my folks are pretty adamant. Will you be okay on your own? We can help out with anything before we go."

"There's not much for us to do ourselves, Jaune," Weiss replied. "Yang father is going to take us in, and we'll head out tomorrow for Patch. In her condition, Ruby's obviously a concern, but there's nothing any of us can do about it. We'll get a medic to check on her before we leave, but none of us can do more than change the solution bags. We don't have much to carry either."

When she felt calm again, Pyrrha made her way over to Blake, plopping down next to her as their friends checked on their gear and packed spare rations in bags. "Well, today has been too exciting already."

Blake hummed a response, turning to face her. "I doubt it will get easier, Pyrrha. I have a feeling all of us are going to have a long few days."

Now it was her turn to hum back. They sat together, watching their friends try and act busy for a few minutes. Jaune checking and rechecking his equipment, Yang and Weiss mothering over Ruby, Ren making sure Nora had whatever she needed and Nora making sure Ren wasn't straining himself. "Thank you, Blake. Our little talk earlier, mortifying though it was, probably did wonders for all of us. I've been staving off the fear, and it helps when we can laugh a little."

"You said it yourself, Pyrrha; friends look out for one another. I needed to laugh just as much as you, too." They returned to amicable quiet for a little longer.

"So," Pyrrha began, "can you think of anything else to lighten the mood?"

Blake's smirk was deadly: "Have you ever heard Yang sing?"

* * *

After his father had left, the day had been surprisingly nice, if a little tense. RWBY and JNPR traded stories, trying to keep the air light, laughing like it was any other day at Beacon. It felt good to pretend, even if for only a few hours.

The team had slung their meager packs, and made to make their goodbyes to RWBY. Nora gave each of them a tight hug, while Ren was a little more reserved. Pyrrha gave Blake a letter, asking her to pass it along to Sun or another Mistral student. Jaune himself gave a quick hug to Blake and Yang, a simple "see you around" to Weiss, who was still recovering from Nora's hug, and then he sat down by Ruby.

"Hey Ruby. JNPR's off, but well come visit Patch, oaky? Normally, I'd make sure a friend wasn't sleeping in so much, but with what you've done, I'll let it slide this once. Make sure you get better though, we need you back." He gave her a light hug, ruffled her hair a bit for old time's sake, and joined his team. She slept through it all.

"We'll see you around. Keep in touch." A chorus of teary goodbyes, and JNPR was off for the docks.

He checked his scroll to get their landing pad number from his father. His dad wanted to talk to him before they took off, so he'd meet them at the ship. Jaune felt like he should have been nervous, but between his mother's response and his father's initial actions, he didn't think he'd be in trouble. Beyond that, the team was in good spirits, all things considered. Ren seemed to be back at full strength, Nora's cheerfulness felt more organic, and Pyr's concerns had eased as their day went on. A part of him was sure this was a sign of only worse to come, but paranoia never did anyone any good.

Well, that wasn't really true, but it wouldn't do _him_ any good.

The camp was a mess of activity, with soldiers and huntsmen running this way and that, despite the growing darkness. The impromptu airfield at the end of the stadium was crowded, with groups coming and going constantly, and a line of vehicles ranging from passenger aircraft to mass transit vehicles shuffling between pads and the sky.

"We're due at pad 4 in fifteen minutes, come on." They pushed into the swarm of people, keeping their eyes locked on their target. After not a small amount of pushing, sidestepping, scrambling, and apologizing, JNPR piled onto the large carrier craft waiting for them. The only occupants present beyond themselves was Jaune's father. Nicholas stepped towards a door out of the main passenger bay, and motioned for Jaune to join him. Stowing his things, he ran up to catch him.

"Hey, Dad. Thanks for this."

"It's nothing, Jaune, the ship has to head out anyway." His father looked down at his boots, trying to find the right words. "We weren't happy that you went behind our backs when you applied to Beacon, Jaune. None of us wanted to see you go get yourself hurt. But, your mother and I decided we couldn't stop you, and we didn't want to end on a bad note." Here was the rebuke he had been waiting for.

"We were wrong, Jaune. I was wrong. You've done well here, it shows in how your team looks at you, stand up for you. I can feel it in your grip. See it in how you walk. The boy I saw off while his mother distracted his sisters has grown into a man, and I wasn't there to see it happen. I'm sorry, Jaune. I doubted you, and you went and proved your old man a fool."

 _What._ Jaune wasn't sure he could make a real sentence.

Well, he had to try.

"But… but Beacon? The festival? All that's happened!"

His father shook his head: "None of it is your fault, son, none of this was inside your power. Someone else made an already dangerous place even more dangerous, someone I intend to _hunt down_ , but you were already out there. You are strong enough for this future, I don't doubt it, and I've asked around. Charging to the center of the arena in the middle of a Grimm attack to save a teammate from shell shock? Jaune, how can I ever think you incapable of the path you've chosen when you would do that?" Nicholas pulled his son into another hug, holding him tight against his wiry frame. "I'm proud of you, Jaune. I won't ever stop worrying, nor will your mother, but you can do this."

* * *

Jaune and Nicholas were gone for a while, and Pyrrha fidgeted in her seat. Jaune's father didn't instill fear in her like he had before, but the man was still Jaune's father: a bit of nervousness was perfectly normal, right? Nora was rambling about what it'd be like to meet Jaune's family, but she fell quiet when the two stepped back out of their conference. Jaune stood a little taller, his father seemed happy. They walked over to them, his father addressing them.

"You're all welcome in our home for as long as you'd like, I'm sure my wife will make that apparent. I'll do what I can for Beacon, I promise. It's the least I can do to repay you for what you've done for my son." He shook Ren's hand, as well as Nora's. He stopped in front of her, though. She fought with all her might to keep eye contact with him.

And was completely surprised when he pulled her into a hug.

 _Jaune sure does come from a physical family,_ she mused, but Mr. Arc spoke quietly to her then.

"Thank you, Miss Nikos, for caring for my Jaune. Watch out for him, will you?"

She felt an immense rush of pride at his words. She replied simply: "I always will, sir."

* * *

 **Post** **:** There we go, JNPR has flown the coop and will be off for a new setting! I know I left last chapter with a bit of a threatening air, and then get all warm with the family. I've realized over the last few months of writing that I'm something of a fan of literary bait and switches. Which is not to say all my cliffhangers will resolve nicely, just that I may do that. As I've mentioned in the story, RWBY will make a return, but they will definitely not be players in the story. I don't believe many other members of the cast will make appearances, but I'll see where my fingers take me, yeah? Have a good one, folks!


	6. Full Houses and Flushes

**A/N:** Chapters in consecutive weeks, look at that! I feel like one of them consistent writers! A lot of the next few chapters are drawn from my own experience with a crowded family; 20 people in a house for 5 during holidays was a regular feature of my life, and all of us are loud. I feel for the dates/spouses dragged to our get-togethers, it must be so overwhelming. Welp, let's get on with this, please enjoy chapter six!

* * *

Aside from Jaune's near constant running to the bathroom, and the persistent hint of vomit in the air, the flight to Bar was fairly uneventful. Pyrrha and her team spent most of it sleeping, it being a late-night flight. In the pre-dawn hours, Nora dragged Pyrrha out of her uncomfortable sleep, JNPR grabbed their few things, and stepped off the ship and into Bar.

Jaune had always described his childhood home as a fairly quiet town, an unassuming place that mostly existed as a hub for flights around northern Sanus. She had mostly been thinking about the "quiet town" part of his description when she pictured Bar, largely ignoring the "vital air depot" portion. The mass of people milling around as they deboarded shattered the quaint imagery. Jaune hurried the three of them off the landing pad, and a stream of men and women in various military uniforms began to pour onto their ship. Jaune was scanning the crowd, eventually shooting his hands up and waving.

A young woman eventually broke from the mass, striding up to them. It didn't take a genius to realize this was Jaune's sister, Blanche. She was tall, nearly Pyrrha's height, and kept her blonde hair shorter than Jaune's; she looked eerie copy of her partner, given a few more years and obvious changes. She planted her duffel on the ground, crossed her arms, and just glared at Jaune.

Jaune scratched the back of his head, staring at his sister's boots: "Hey, Blanche, how ya doing?" Blanche glared harder, and Jaune eventually slumped a little. "I'm sorry, okay? I knew you and the girls would try and stop me, and I didn't want a giant fight before I left home."

"And?"

"And I shouldn't have blocked all of your numbers. I kinda forgot I did that, actually."

Pyrrha sighed a little at that last comment, as did Blanche. This of course put her under examination, she was sure. The woman glanced at her, but returned to her wayward brother quickly enough.

"It was stupid, and dangerous, but I forgive you Jaune. Our other sisters may not be as magnanimous as me, though. The proof is in the pudding, and your still with us, so I can't stay mad for long. Now, mind introducing me?" The way she seemed to grind the words out indicated they weren't entirely truthful.

Jaune looked a tad unnerved at her response, but coughed into his hand and gestured towards the team. "Guys, this is my eldest sister: Lt. Blanche Arc. Blanche, these are my teammates Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren, and Pyrrha Nikos." They each took Blanche's hand and put on a smile, but the woman clearly took issue with them.

"I'm assuming you all dragged my little brother into all kinds of messes? Well, he's come out fine so far. See that it stays that way, or we will have _very_ unpleasant words." Pyrrha felt unnerved, but neither Nora nor Ren showed signs of being cowed. Jaune, however, didn't seem pleased.

"Blanche, don't threaten my team, or _we'll_ have words." His sister looked back to him, equal parts anger and surprise. A few long heartbeats passed. "They're _my team_ , Blanche. I look out for them, they look out for me."

The moment passed when Jaune's sister gave a hesitant nod. "Fair enough. Jaune, I want to stay and talk, but my captain's gonna have my ass if I miss this flight, not to mention Dad." She wrapped Jaune in a hug, which he returned. Blanche then tugged Jaune down and tried to slip him into a lock, no doubt to give him a noogie or some such sibling torture. Her partner slipped the lock, however, and hopped back, preening at his dodge. Pyrrha felt a little smug at her bit of training.

"Well, you learned _something_ at least. Be safe, Jaune."

"You too, Blanche." She scooped up her duffel, and turned for the ship. Jaune watched her go until she had piled into the now packed carrier, then pointed out their exit.

* * *

It took them several minutes, but the team eventually broke free of the airfield and began to make their way to Bar proper. Jaune had been giving them a rundown of the town's layout, to ensure they didn't get lost, but Nora interrupted.

"Forget that, Jaune, we need to know about your sisters! You told us plenty about your parents, but spill the beans on the rest of 'em!" Nora had skipped ahead of them, walking backwards while staring Jaune down. He had discussed family with Pyr on a few occasions, mostly worries about how his family would react to Beacon, but they rarely talked about it with Ren and Nora.

JNPR was close, but they understood certain topics shouldn't be brought up: Pyrrha's career, Jaune's transcripts, and family.

Now that they were about to be subsumed by the Arcs, he supposed now would be the time to get it all out. Jaune took a deep breath, and began.

"I've got seven sisters, in order from oldest: Blanche, Noire, Violette, Rouge, Marron, Verte, and Rose. Yes, having a little sister named Rose made meeting Ruby a little weird. Blanche and Noire are 26 and twins, Violette is 25, Rogue is 16, Marron is 15, Verte and Rose are twins too and are 12.

"You saw Blanche is in the army, Noire and Violette are teachers. Rouge, Marron, Verte, and Rose are all still in school. We're all blonds, surprise, though most of them take after my mother, and all seven of my sisters hated the idea of me becoming a huntsman." Ren and Nora frowned at that, while Pyrrha gave him an encouraging look.

"My parents didn't like it either, but let me go when I had an acceptance letter. My sisters? Mom had them running in circles the day I left; I'd probably been hogtied and shoved in a closet if they knew I was going. I haven't talked to any of them since I left."

"Jaune…" Ren's voice was quiet, but they all heard the rebuke.

"I know, Ren, it was a mean thing to do. I should have called them sooner. I probably should have gone home over semester break instead of going to Mistral with you guys. But I didn't want to go home until I could… until I was ready, ya know? Show I could do it.

"I'd been expected to get shredded by my parents, but that didn't happen. I've got no clue what to expect from the girls, though. I also have _no idea_ how they'll react to you guys, but my mother will obsess over being sure everything is fine. There ya go, can I stop expositing now?"

"Expositing? Feelin' fancy, fearless leader?"

"Well, you never know when Violette is going to show up." Jaune eyed the streets, scanning the alleys just in case his sisters were lying in wait; they were close enough to home for ambushes.

When they reached the drive that would take JNPR from the streets of Bar to his almost secluded childhood home, Jaune felt himself slow.

 _"Can I really do this? Can I face down the whole family? Dad said he was proud of me, but the girls are still pissed. And do I want to bring JNPR into this, right after we got away from Beacon?"_

He felt Ren step up next to him, then Pyrrha on the other side, and he knew that backing down from something as small as mad family wasn't something he could do. With a short, but heavy, step, Jaune began to bring his team home.

A minute later, Jaune realized: _"I'm being way too philosophic over a driveway."_

Finally reaching their destination, Jaune proudly waved his hands in display of the far set house. "The Arc residence, home to anywhere between 10 and 5! Don't bother kicking off your shoes, mud'll get in anyway." He took a few more steps forward, positioning himself between the door and his friends. "Just stay behind me, and don't make any sudden movements." He began a brisk walk towards the door. Behind him, he heard Nora snort.

"Jaune, you make your family sound like some kind of pack or som-" the front door burst open, and a sea of blonde rolled out towards him just as he reached to stoop.

"JAUNE!" the combined cries of his remaining relations washed over Jaune, one-part joy and one-part fear. His mother dragged him into a hug, and he soon felt a few more arms around him as his little sisters crowded in regardless. They let him go and he went through the arduous and delightful task of greeting his family.

* * *

Pyrrha smiled at Jaune being welcomed home: it was a heartwarming sight. So often her own homecomings were swallowed up by her career, familial moments like this had been rare. Jaune had been worried about his reception, she knew, but she had always told him it would be fine. He spoke so happily of his sisters, she doubted they would open on the offensive. Jaune was bending over, hugging a young girl with long and straight hair, but Pyrrha felt eyes on her. To the side, a woman who could only be Claire Arc was watching her.

She was older, late forties likely, but she was still quite beautiful. She looked as Pyrrha imagined Yang would look in a few decades, really. Pale hair pulled back, the woman's face was mildly creased as she eyed Pyrrha and her other two friends. She was not angry, Pyrrha thought, merely intense. An intensity that reminded Pyrrha very much of her husband. She smiled at the woman, and then tried to return to watching Jaune for her signal, but she kept feeling the eyes on her.

Pyrrha looked back again, but this time noticed two others. Tall, just shorter than herself, both with hair almost as uncontrollable as Jaune's, though one wore it short and the other nearly to her waist. Like their mother, they had impressive figures, but had angular faces more alike to Jaune. " _Noire and Violette, though I do not know which"_. While their mother had watched _NPR with unnerving curiosity, these watched her with distrust, with distaste. Part of her mind felt Jaune's warning about sudden movements was good advice.

"Okay, Okay, it's great to see you guys too! But I've got guests that you need to meet!" Jaune extricated himself from among the smaller girls, as well as a young woman who could have just been Jaune in a skirt.

"Alright, let's do this! Team, this is my mom Claire Arc," Mrs. Arc nodded cheerily and gestured for Jaune to keep going with names, "my sisters Noire", the short-haired woman, "Violette", the long-haired woman boring holes into Pyrrha, "Rouge", Jaune's feminine clone, "Marron", a gangly girl with arrow-straight and well-ordered locks, "Verte and Rose", the shortest girls of the group, identical twins with glasses and pale hair like their mother, though Verte had a braid. Each girl offered the same wave and smile as their mother, though only Jaune's younger siblings seemed to have any real warmth in it.

"Family, this is Team JNPR! My teammates Lie Ren, call him Ren, and Nora Valkyrie," Ren offered a polite nod while Nora handled the exuberant wave, "and my partner, Pyrrha Nikos." She offered a completely not intimidated "Hello".

There was a short pause as everyone tried to decide who should go first and who to address. Naturally, Nora threw it all aside in her wonderful way.

Her redheaded teammate took a bounding step forward, dropped to one knee, and held out a hand to Verte. "Hiya, I'm Nora! I love your hair; do you braid it yourself?" Verte giggled slightly at that and took Nora's hand.

"Hi Nora, I'm Verte, nice to meet you. No, Rose does it for me." Her braidless sister jumped up and flung her arms around Verte.

"I'm Rose, nice to meet you, Nora! Have you been taking care of Jaune? He looks bigger!"

Nora's smile was practically manic. "Oh no, Jaune takes care of me! Ren and I always get into trouble when we're on our own, but Jaune makes sure that doesn't happen. And he has gotten bigger; when we first met, he was more like some big noodle!" Jaune squawked and indignant "Hey!" at the comparison, but the laughter from all four of his younger sisters broke the tension surrounding them.

Mrs. Arc stepped back from the mob, turning for the front door. "Well, come on in everyone. Violette, take your brother and Ren up to his room. Nora, Pyrrha, I'll take you to yours. You all can drop off your things, change if you'd like, and then we can have breakfast."

At the sound of "breakfast", Nora was Claire's shadow as they moved into the house. Pyrrha, however, made sure to properly introduce herself to the six girls swarming around Jaune. Her father, and years of PR, had drilled into her a level of propriety when it came to greetings. Eye contact, friendly tone, and a firm, but not hard, handshake. _"No child of mine is going to offer some limp-wristed hand!"_ her father had been _very_ outspoken on handshakes. Violette met her with a vice grip and dark promises in darker eyes, but Pyrrha wasn't going to be scared off, not after everything she'd been through.

The Arc home was large, as needs would demand, and most of the walls carried a picture of at least one member of the family. The home was pristine, but there scuffs on the floor here, a dent in the wall there, offering testament to the battle-hardened past of a home which carried many small children. The stairs creaked lightly as Mrs. Arc and Violette lead the group of four up, most of Jaune's sisters scattering to the four winds inside, no doubt preparing for a meal.

"Ren, Nora, Pyrrha: there's a bathroom here on the left, and another at the end of the hall on the right, this is Verte and Rose's room, this is Jaune's, across the hall is Blanche and Noire's, and that last one is Violette, Rouge, and Marron. I'm downstairs, but we'll cover that after breakfast." Violette went in with Ren and Jaune, while his mother went in with she and Nora.

Nora flung Magnhild and her bag on the bed, while Pyrrha softly laid them on the other. Pyrrha heard Nora tear out the door, shout "Ren, pancakes!", and then barrel towards the stairs. The sounds of her team's antics were muffled by her door closing.

"So," Mrs. Arc began calmly, "You and my son are 'partners', was it?" She _did not_ miss the implication in her voice.

"Mrs. Arc, at Beacon each team consists of two pairs of combat partners: JNPR is myself and Jaune with Ren and Nora. Jaune and I aren't… that kind of partner."

"Hmm, so you just watch my son like a lost puppy for no reason?"

 _"This is it, this is how I die."_ She ran past that thought: "Ma'am, I-"

"I've raised three teenaged girls, am raising four more, and was one myself. Miss Nikos, don't lie to me." Pyrrha said nothing, and Claire waited.

"We… aren't a couple. I like your son, he is very precious to me. We are close, and I wish we were closer." Pyrrha couldn't stop blushing; she'd never really _talked_ about it with someone. Her friends knew, some of them made implications or teased, but out and out discussion? She felt mortified.

"I'll not have any funny business under my roof," Pyrrha discovered to her amazement she could blush harder, "but you are important to my son." She felt like she'd been hit with a brick, but Jaune's mother smirked at her expression.

"I've spoken with Nicholas, Miss Nikos. You are a respectful young woman, you've saved my son's life at least once, and you are his friend. I just now have my son back, the last thing I want to do is put his back up by mistreating someone he cares about. You have my gratitude and my respect for what you've done for Jaune, Miss Nikos, and I hope I can get to know you while you're staying with us." When Pyrrha still said nothing, still recovering from her shock, she continued.

"Did you expect me to throw you out on your ear for liking my son? Miss Nikos, for future reference, saving the life of a mother's child is a sound strategy to get in her good books. I'm not some evil step-mother from a fairy tale. Now, let's head down, eat a proper meal with my family, and do some talking." Pyrrha eventually managed to recover from Claire's mention of fairy tales, and followed her to the door.

She began to step out, but the door to Jaune's room opened, her partner emerging. They looked at each other for a brief moment, but Jaune broke off and followed his mother. Him gone, Pyrrha was left facing Violette Arc, staring her down from inside the room.

 _"I suppose it can't always be easy._ "


	7. Fighting over Spilled Milk

**A/N:** Welcome back! This chapter came fairly easy to me, and I dare say I have a surplus of story now. WPF has broken 5000 views and 50 favorites, which I have to say feels pretty cool. This is normally the part where I go on about the actual story, but have you read chapter 48 of Not This Time, Fate? Hot damn, that was good. It'll be a sad day when NTTF stops, it was the first fanfic to really hook me. Enough fanboy-ing over Coeur, on to chapter seven, and thank you for reading!

* * *

Jaune had just put down Crocea Mors when he heard Nora drag Ren from their room, screaming "Pancakes!" The door closed behind him, and he knew it was now time to face his next great battle.

"Jaune. We must talk." Violette sounded calm, you'd never think she was furious by her tone. He'd known her long enough to know different. He sat down on his bed, and Violette took the chair in the corner. Jaune spoke first.

"I'm sorry, Violette. Running out on all of you was cruel, not explaining myself was cruel. I shouldn't have done that to you; you were worried about my safety, and I was being selfish." Violette seemed a little surprised by his admission, looking back at him, her mouth slightly open.

"I know I should have stayed in touch, but I didn't, and that's my fault too. I don't have an excuse for that." Quiet stretched as his sister considered, he wasn't sure what.

"You'll go back when you can, won't you?" He nodded, "Why? Why do you want to endanger yourself like this, Jaune?" She was a little indignant, but she kept hold of her voice. She always kept everything under control, while he wore it on his sleeve.

"I… I left for Beacon for the wrong reasons, Vi. I wanted to be a hero, somebody who could live up to the family legacy. I would help people, but for myself; I wanted to help them to show myself I was good enough.

"Now? Now I want to help because doing less would be cowardly. I can help people, so I need to help them. Not because it would stroke my ego, but because someone else needs a hand. I'll go back to Beacon because the world needs people to fight the Grimm, and I'm not afraid. I'll go back because there are people out there who want to do terrible things, and I can help stop them. I'll go back because my friends need me, and I won't push them away." A cramped and cold locker. A weeping girl. Jaune snapped back into reality.

Violette was staring at him.

"What if we need you, Jaune? What if we need you home, need to know you're alright? Do you know what it did to us, knowing you were at _Beacon_? We were terrified, Jaune."

"But you don't need me here, Vi, you _want_ me here. You _want_ me safe. I can do some good for the world out there, I can help people! I want to, I need to. People actually need me, and I can't let them down."

"But you can let us down? What, you think that Nikos girl actually needs you, Jaune? Just because she's hanging off your arm like an extra sleeve doesn't make her more important than us." That was one step too far.

"Don't talk about Pyrrha like that, you don't know what she's been through. What we've been through." It was a cold anger, one he'd only felt a few times: toward Cardin, the woman in Beacon Tower, now his sister. Vi didn't take note, apparently.

"She's probably the one who put you through whatever 'it' is, Jaune. Those three aren't friends, Jaune, friends wouldn't put you in danger."

"But family should just lock me away in a safe little room? Tell me give up on my dreams? They have my back, Vi! _They_ stood up for me!" His sister finally snapped.

"Don't take that tone with me over your little girlfriend, young man!" Vi was on her feet and Jaune felt himself get up.

"I'm not a little kid anymore, Vi! I haven't been since I watched a friend _die_." Vi froze in place. "Her name was _Penny_ , she was one of the nicest people I've ever met, and she _died_ at Beacon, Vi. I'm not a kid anymore, not after I've had to save someone life, my partner's life. Not after someone died because I did what I wanted to instead of what I needed to. Not after I watched my second home get burned to the ground and overrun by Grimm. Not after watching a friend missing an arm hold her comatose little sister. Not after spending three days in a _refugee camp_ , an ear to the ground to see if someone else I know isn't coming home anymore."

His sister was frozen in place, as bad as Pyr in the arena. He felt hi trembling, and he was amazed he hadn't been screaming.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Vi. I have people relying on me, depending on me! I'm not _allowed_ to fall to pieces or mope around about how angry my sisters are, I have people who _need_ me. Need me to be a lifeline for them." He stopped, took a few deep breaths, and tried to bury his emotions. It wouldn't do to walk up to the team looking like a mess. They needed him in control. _She_ needed him.

"Vi, until you get that I'm not the Jaune that left, we're not going to be able to bury the hatchet. But I want to, I want us to be okay." He walked up to his sister, and gave her a quick hug. "Let's go get some breakfast, and I'll tell you all about Beacon." His sister didn't move.

Jaune stepped around her, and headed out the door. Just as his mother and Pyr stepped out of Blanche's room. His eyes met Pyr's, his mind finally registered Vi saying "your little girlfriend", and he broke away from his partner, following his mother downstairs.

" _Not the time, Jaune, really not the time."_

* * *

The dining table was a massive thing, unsurprisingly, and Jaune took a seat to the left of the head. Following the instinct of hundreds of meals, Pyrrha sat down next to him. Mrs. Arc had joined Rogue and Marron in the kitchen, where Ren had been observing, and the four began to carry out breakfast. It was only when she noticed the odd look Rogue was giving her that Pyrrha realized the Arc household may have a seating arrangement. She made to stand up, but Jaune leaned toward her.

"It's fine, Pyr, don't sweat it." Plates of toast, eggs cooked several ways, small stacks of pancakes, and various fruit were laid across the table. Pyrrha settled back in her seat while Ren and Nora sat next to her, the remaining Arcs surrounding them. Mrs. Arc coughed politely to get their attention.

"We don't sit down together for every meal, so don't worry, but this one is a special occasion. Jaune is back with us, and while the circumstances behind it may not be pleasant, having him back is." The whole table bowed their heads in solemnity for a moment, before returning to the meal at hand. Mrs. Arc waved a hand, and declared: "Alright, dig in!"

Hands flashed across the table, snatching up bread and swiping fruit. Nora had taken two of the pancake stacks all for herself, while Rogue had half a dozen hardboiled eggs, of all things. Pyrrha set her jaw and struck with precision honed from years of practice, securing a shortstack for herself, as well as filling a small bowl of mixed fruit. Rose left the table, scampering off to the kitchen. As the chaos of plating leveled out, conversation took up. Team JNPR, of course, was the main focus.

"So," Noire began as she put down her eggs & toast, "why don't you tell us about yourselves, how'd you all end up on a team?"

Nora slurped down a pancake virtually whole, as she was wont to do, and began full tilt. "Ren and I are from Anima! We met years and years ago and we've been best friends ever since! We wanted to help people and everyone knows how helpful Hunters are and so we decided to try that! We spent years living with a hermit in the hills of Anima, learning his secret fighting technique."

"We trained with a few retired Hunters we met in our youth." Ren corrected.

"Eventually we snuck into Vale and did so great on the Beacon Admission they flew is to the school on the spot!"

"We hitchhiked after missing our original flight, then passed the test the last day it was offered."

The Arcs seemed to have followed about half of what Nora said, but had caught on to the theme.

"When initiation started, we were dropped from a plane into the Emerald Forest!"

"We were launched from a cliff."

"I got stuck in a tree, but I managed to find Ren after he had just finished fighting off 10 Beringels on his own,"

"It was one King Taijitsu."

"And then we hitched a ride on an Ursa, made our way to the ruins, and ran into Jaune and Pyrrha and Team RWBY! Well, they weren't team RWBY yet, no one was a team, but the girls who would be Team RWBY were there and then we fought a Deathstalker the size of this room and RWBY fought a Nevermore just as big!"

The table looked to Ren to correct Nora, but he kept eating his oatmeal. A few of them looked a little pale.

"A-and you, Pyrrha?" Rouge asked hesitantly.

"Oh, well I'm from Mistral. My mother is a retired Huntress, and she inspired me to follow in her footsteps. She trained me until I was old enough to go to a combat school: I attended Sanctum Academy. I had a short career in Mistral's tournament ring, but put that down when I left for Beacon. I met Jaune the morning of initiation, and then we met up again in the forest and became partners. Then, everything Nora described… happened."

Jaune snorted at her brief description: "By 'met up', she means 'saved Jaune from his dumb plan'. The first half on Initiation wasn't my best day."

Rose hustled back into the room, carrying a carton and box.

"True, but you led the team when we fought the Deathstalker. You thought fast and got three strangers to listen to you in a combat situation, and it worked perfectly. You don't give yourself enough credit."

"You mentioned a combat school? Jaune didn't go to one, it sounds like Nora and Ren didn't either. How was that?" Mrs. Arc's question was fairly innocuous, and Pyrrha supposed there were _worse_ things to latch onto.

" _It was four of the worst years of my life, I was either jealously hated or put in a gilded cage,"_ Pyrrha did not say. Instead, she settled for: "Similar to Beacon, though far less advanced. Weapon training, sparring with students. Very like a normal school really, but with additional focus on the body. Many graduates become soldiers or police, even athletes." The girls nodded politely at her explanation, except for Rose. Rose was intently looking at her breakfast. She looked up to Pyrrha, then back down to her food, then back up.

Slowly, with a level of drama she had to respect, Rose hefted her cereal box and turned it to face the table, knocking on the wood to draw attention. Jaune's sisters stared, and Pyrrha felt the blood drain from her face, before she buried it in her arms.

Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes, with star fighter Pyrrha Nikos posing on the front.

Silence reigned over breakfast. Pyrrha wanted to run away until her feet bled.

Marron broke the silence, eventually: "Sooo, how successful was that tournament career of yours, Pyrrha?"

* * *

" _I should have seen this coming, I knew we usually had Pumpkin Pete's!"_ Jaune chided himself silently, watching his partner raise her head quickly from the table. She looked about as embarrassed as Jaune felt.

"Actually, Pyrrha doesn't really like talking about her fighting career, so if we could…?" he gave his mother a look he hoped manage to capture the message _"Can we please move on to another topic before my friend dies of mortification?"_ Amazingly, Claire seemed to catch the message, and gave Rose a pointed look until his sister reversed the offending box. Jaune felt Pyrrha's knee bump his in thanks, and he struggled to think of something to keep the attention off her. _"Ding!"_

"So, guess who wore their onesie at Beacon?"

His entire family stared at him slack jawed. It was as if he just declared his intentions to become the Prince of the Grimm. _"Humiliate myself in defense of my team, the classic Jaune plan!"_ Rouge cracked first.

"Jaune, please tell me you didn't. _Please_ tell me my big brother is playing some sick joke on us." He shook his head solemnly, and she buried her face in her hands. "I can never visit Beacon now, never. They might think I'm you." Noire, Verte, and Rose started to laugh lightly, but Rogue and Marron were just the right age to feel humiliated by proxy.

"Why did you even _pack that?_ " Marron accused. "What made that seem like even a remotely cool idea, Jaune?"

Ren coughed, and for a moment Jaune thought his adopted brother was going to rescue him.

"Jaune also wore a dress to the Beacon Dance." Verte was practically falling over laughing. Rose _did_ fall over laughing.

" _Vale!_ I can never visit Vale now; they would absolutely think I'm you." Rouge griped, strangling the air between them.

Eventually, his family recovered, and breakfast continued on, with JNPR telling his family about the less dangerous parts of Beacon. Verte and Rose were absolutely enamored by Nora's stories, and she even made Professor Port sound interesting. Rouge and Marron decided that a full inquiry into embarrassing things Jaune did was necessary, while Noire and Violette very unsubtly grilled his team for information about what he had been up to, if he'd been in any trouble. In a show of solidarity, no one brought up Cardin, and the worst things to come out were Jaune's low combat scores.

Then Nora brought up Weiss.

His family sat, entranced, as Nora ran them through an incredibly precise history of all Jaune's attempts to ask out Weiss, periodically checking Ren to make sure Nora was on the straight and narrow. She was.

"After he finished the song, Weiss said 'No' and just shut the door on him!" Vi rolled her eyes, Rouge and Marron started laughing.

Jaune wasn't sure where, but he knew they would never find Ren & Nora's bodies.

He'd have Pyrrha help, it'd be a bonding experience.

* * *

 **Post:** I do wish that I could select three tags, because comedy is just as important as drama in this story, even if it is ultimately an Arkos tale. I worry it could be a little too jarring shifting from something like Jaune's talk with Vi to less serious matters like breakfast, but I've always enjoyed an up-and-down emotional flow. Props to the reader who saw Pumpkin Pete's coming, that was a scene I've been dying to write; the brave hero nobly throws himself to the wolves to save the damsel in distress!


	8. Trials and Tribulations

**A/N:** And welcome back! The story is moving along, and while this chapter feels a little down in comparison to earlier chapters, I assure you it will get sadder. Almost as sad as my fumbling names; if I had a dollar for every time I wrote "Rogue" instead of "Rouge". My RPGs are showing, apparently. Oh, I'm rambling again, on with chapter eight, and thank you for reading!

* * *

Jaune's sacrificed dignity saved Pyrrha from an unpleasant talk, and the table eventually transitioned off to safer topics. Stories from Jaune's youth and stories of school, from both sides of the lesson. It was a more relaxed affair, and even Jaune's elder sisters seemed placated by what they heard of Beacon: neither kept looking between Pyrrha and their knives. That isn't to say Violette stopped glowering at her, of course.

The meal completed, Mrs. Arc determined the tour of the house needed to be finished as well. The kitchen attached to the dining room was large enough and sufficiently stocked to handle the huge household, and Ren had spent more than a little while marveling at the appliances. The living room featured a small television, shelves stacked with everything from Jaune's comics to scholarly texts for Noire, and well as games hoarded away by Rouge and Marron.

Pyrrha wasn't embarrassed in the least to be caught drooling at Jaune's comics; he'd hooked her on them before their first month at Beacon was up, and she practically dreamed of the trove he would talk of back home.

The master bedroom was around the corner, and there was a small study where Mrs. Arc would work in the evenings. Finally, a small back porch before a long stretch of field edging a wood encircled by Bar's walls. Objectively, she knew the home was large, but it managed to feel cozy despite that. Though perhaps it was just the crowd? Even with Violette and Noire returning to their own home in the evenings, there would be nine people under this roof! Pyrrha had a brief thought of what it would be like had they gone to Patch, shuddered, and felt reaffirmed Bar was the better long-term choice.

"Jaune can take you all around town, let you see the sights as it were, but it'd probably be best to stay in today. The town still has a lot of people moving in and out for Vale, not to mention my girls probably want more time with their brother!"

Marron called from the kitchen, "After what he wore at Beacon, they can keep him!" His remaining sisters had taken seats in the living room, though, all of them eyeing Jaune expectantly.

Catching the mood, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora excused themselves to let Jaune and his family speak alone. The three made their way upstairs and settled down in Jaune's room.

Jaune had shared it with Rouge most of his life, he still thought of it as theirs, but her partner was the one who had left marks. The shelves held a mix of more comics and old textbooks, with a larger novel or two serving more as ends than members of a collection. An empty guitar stand sat in one far corner, and an armor rack with Jaune's gear in the other. She was fairly certain he had thrown that together himself. Out of curiosity, Pyrrha peeked into the wardrobe. Just like at Beacon, half of Jaune's clothes were hung, and half were piled, unfolded, on the shelves.

It had taken Ren weeks to break that habit.

Ren sat cross-legged on the bed, and Nora promptly belly flopped behind him, while Pyrrha took the chair. Nora, bouncing to a seated position, took the lead.

"Ya know, meeting them explains a lot, really. But I like his sisters! Well, most of them, I think his older ones hate our guts a bit…"

Ren nodded at her remark. "They hold us responsible for Jaune staying at Beacon."

"His little sisters probably don't get how hard it is, but Violette and Noire do. Well, we just gotta win 'em over, one embarrassing story at a time!"

They all laughed a bit at their leader's expense, but Jaune always did manage to find himself in odd spots. Pyrrha needed to get her own part in, though.

"Mrs. Arc seems unsure of us, but she wants to give us a try, if nothing else then for Jaune's sake. Violette doesn't seem to want that, though. We'll have to talk to her some time."

" _You'll_ have to talk to her," Nora interjected, "she only shoots us dirty looks. Jaune's big sis is sizing you up for a grave, though." Pyrrha hung her head a little at that, since it was probably true. Ren came to the rescue, however.

"Having Mrs. Arc and his younger sisters willing to accept us is more than I expected. Jaune made it sound as if they'd all kick us out."

"He can be a little dramatic," Nora snorted at the understatement. "Between our meeting his father and our own talks at Beacon, I assumed it wouldn't be terrible. They're too tight-knit to really hold a grudge. We just have to wait this out. Jaune will make peace, and then we can meet them on even ground. I suppose I will have to talk to his elder sisters…"

"Don't worry, Pyrrha! You'll just have to slay the dragons and save the damsel in distress! You got it in you, I know it. After everything we've been through, a couple angry sisters aren't going to keep us down!" Ever the optimist, Nora. Her bright words sent them all thinking on dark memories, however, and the room grew still. Ren spoke up first, quietly.

"It's hard process, what happened."

Nora began hesitantly: "I keep expecting to wake up back in the room, and this was just another one of my dreams. It hasn't even been _a week_ …"

Pyrrha knew exactly how they felt. She'd been trying to forget, trying to get lost in all the rush of the last several days. Now that they were in Bar, though, there was nothing left but to just… wait. " _Even in the camp, there was worry over what we would do next, some urgency in planning."_ Now though? Now they were simply left with their thoughts.

"I killed someone."

Silence, total and crushing.

"I killed Penny. She… was a machine? But she had aura, she had friends and wants. She was a person and I killed her… How am I-"

She cut off when Nora dropped down onto her in the chair, wrapping her in a hug, and Pyrrha held on to her friend for all it was worth. They could not escape their pasts, but together, they would weather the storm.

* * *

Jaune, feeling like the accused at a trial, sat down in one of the chairs while his sisters arrayed around him. Personally, he'd rather his friends not leave, but this was a family matter. His talks with Blanche and Vi hadn't been terrible though, right?

" _Well, third time's the charm, Jaune."_

"I'm sorry I lied to you all and left for Beacon without saying goodbye. And sorry about not calling, too. You guys were worried about me, I should have kept in touch."

"You should have." Marron responded bluntly. Rose and Verte nodded along, backing up their sister. Rouge took up the cause next.

"We were worried sick, Jaune. Other than a couple boilerplates from Beacon, we didn't know anything about what was happening to you. If you got hurt, we'd probably only find out from a medical report!"

"Yeah, it was pretty dumb of me…"

The girls all agreed with that.

"But, I am- was a student at Beacon. I passed classes, I went on missions, I even won a few matches! We don't know when we can go back to Beacon, but JNPR _is_ going back, and I'll be going with them. I won't stay away next time, I promise, but I will go.

"Jaune," Noire interjected, "it undermines the apology when you say you're going to do it again. It defeats the point."

"I know, but I want to say this now. I am sorry I made you guys worry, but I'm not giving up on being a huntsman! I can do this, and I've got months of actually doing it to back me up! I don't want to freak you all out again, but this is what I want to be. Blanche is a soldier, why can't I be a huntsman?"

"That's different." Noire protested. The others took up the chorus, save for Vi.

"How? If Vale goes to war, Blanche is in just as much danger, and the army is used to keep off Grimm all the time, that's what Blanche is doing right now! Sure, I could take a mission by myself, but I've got my friends, so why would I? If anything, I'm in even less danger, since Huntsmen choose their missions _and_ we have aura!"

"Aura?" Rose asked. Jaune pointed to her, then ran to the kitchen before returning with a knife.

"Aura, physical manifestation of the soul? Basic part of being a Hunstman, sis." With that, Jaune stabbed the knife at his arm. Most of his sisters leapt up, but froze when the knife harmlessly skittered away.

"This thing stops bullets, blades, Grimm, just about anything. It runs out, but recharges. Pretty cool, right?

"Look, this isn't the point! The point is, I'm not the same as when I left. I have combat training, I'm part of team _specifically_ trained to fight Grimm, and we don't have 'Heroic Last Stands 101' at Beacon. Come on, guys, give me a chance here!"

Jaune took a page from Ren's book, and let silence speak for him. Ren was a convincing guy, after all.

Violette said nothing, which was worrying. Bringing up her twin had Noire thinking, and his little sisters were definitely mulling it over.

Verte got up, and stepped up to him. "You swear, as an Arc, you'll keep in touch?" Jaune nodded. "And that you won't do anything stupid?"

"Stupid for me, or stupid in general?" Verte didn't like that one. "I swear to be careful and stay in touch." She looked hard at him, but eventually she sagged a bit and let out an explosive breath.

"Alright, I'm okay with this." Rouge, however, erupted at Verte's words.

"What do you mean, 'okay with this'? It's nuts!" Rouge losing her temper drew Noire out, though.

"Rouge, Jaune is too good to say it, but he has all the cards here." They all looked to Noire. "If we make him promise to keep us in the loop, then Jaune will do it. But if we don't ask for anything, then Jaune will just leave again and we'll still be in the dark. Before he went to Beacon, _maybe_ we could have stopped him. But now? He's combat trained, has some committed friends, and is legally an adult as of his admission to Beacon."

"I am?"

"You are."

"Huh, cool!" _"Wait, does that mean Ruby's legally an adult? Oh wow, that'd be a nightmare at her age! Also, Noire is giving me waaay to much credit."_ Jaune decided that running with the bluff his sister gave him was the best option.

"Those friend of his _should be_ committed. A manic, a depressive, and an obsessive." Vi grumbled, breaking from her musings.

"Violette, say something like that again, and I'll take my team and leave."

Quiet filled the room, his sisters deer in the headlights.

"Don't insult my friends. Do you know what Ren and Nora have been through? What Pyrrha's dealing with? Don't insult them, don't mess with my team." Violette looked furious, but she didn't say anything, returning to her brooding.

"I... won't stop you from becoming a huntsman, Jaune." Noire was staring at her feet, but Jaune felt a little bit of pride at winning her over. "You're right about you and Blanche. You weren't ready when you left, but…"

"You're going to call!" Rouge insisted, Marron and Rose nodding vigorously.

"I'll call, I'll call. I don't even know when we're going." He looked pleadingly at Violette. _"Well, four and two halves down?"_

She was unhappy, it was obvious, and being outnumbered was only making it worse. Vi glared at him, then at Noire, then back at him.

"You win. I don't approve, especially not after what you've told me, but I can't stop you."

It wasn't what he wanted, but he supposed it would do for now.

"Thanks, girls, this mean a lot to me. Now, there's a few more things you should know if JNPR is going to stay with us."

* * *

All three of them had managed to achieve some level of control when Jaune finally peeked into his room, and he looked as if the hour had aged him a decade. He sat down on the bed opposite Ren and began quietly.

"So the good news is that my sisters won't kidnap me for my own safety." A little laughter. "The bad news is that they're not totally sold. Noire and Vi are giving up on stopping me, but that's not the same as approving." He looked away then, took a slow breath. "If either of them, any of them, give you grief, let me know." He didn't say more, he didn't need to. To Pyrrha, who'd learned a long time ago how to be politic, it was obvious: _"They had bad things to say about you, and I didn't stand for it."_ Part of her felt some pride in being held in such close regard, but part of her was worried that the team would cause a schism. None of them meant for Jaune to pick between family and friends.

"Pyrrha, want to do some training?" The question caught her a little off guard, and she imagined it showed. Jaune wouldn't quite meet her eyes, scratching the back of his head.

"It's just, none of us have practiced in days, I don't want us getting rusty." Again, she heard the unspoken: _"I need to improve."_

"I think of bit of training is what we need, clear our heads a little." Nor and Ren jumped on the chance a little too eagerly, and soon the whole team had changed from their secondhand spares to combat gear, and were making their way into the afternoon sun.

To call the space a yard would be a discredit to lawn care, but the four made their way through the tall grass until they were some distance from the house. A few hacks of Milo and Crocea Mors later, and they had cleared a rough circle of tall scrub. The partners paired off, and soon Pyrrha was immersed in training.

She had found she quite liked sparring with Jaune. Not because of the obvious teenage reasons, of course, but for more subtle things. The fights didn't have the oppressive weight of real combat or even a tournament match, there was an easiness to it that made it relaxing. The actual act of working her muscles was always an enjoyable thing for Pyrrha, but these training spars felt... freeing in a way she couldn't properly describe.

Jaune's honest determination was a small piece of joy as well; the unbridled desire to improve, to strive for perfection. It was an appreciation she imagined everyone felt when they saw a peer honing their craft. She drew yet more by being his mentor, watching as Jaune executed maneuvers she had taught him with precision, where he had once been sloppy. She felt herself working her mind as well, as she reviewed Jaune's fighting, and thought of ways to correct errors and plan new lessons, something unique to these exercises.

Of course, 'Pyr' wasn't above admitting it was fun to watch Jaune work out.

Jaune was, understandably, far more committed this afternoon. He struck with purpose, he moved with determined steps, and there was an air of anger around him, like a bed of coals without flame. It was certainly something she was going to put to use, and Pyrrha pulled no punches. They were focused on their own bouts, ignoring Ren and Nora beside them, let alone what might be beyond their makeshift training ground. Just her and Jaune, bout after bout. They progressed from warm, to sweating, to winded, stopping only for the barest breaks before beginning anew.

Jaune's stellar performance came to a rather abrupt end when he overbalanced himself on a thrust and she threw him over her shoulder. His stunned look worried her at first, but then Jaune burst into a wheezing laugh, and the oddness of it made her giddy. Soon enough, they were both lost to breathless laughter, only stopping when Jaune switched to coughing.

"That. Was really good." He said, sucking in breath.

"It was!" She responded, breathing nearly as hard. Jaune stuck a hand towards her.

"Give me a hand, my legs are jelly." She kept laughing, but hauled Jaune to his feet, propping him against herself. It was only when she found it difficult that she registered how _tired_ she was, and she sagged a bit against him. They noticed Ren and Nora then, lounging on the pile of cut grass and scrub.

"You two have been going for an hour since we stopped!" Nora added in a sing-song voice.

"We didn't want to interrupt," Ren added with a secret smile, "you two were having so much fun." Jaune mumbled something she though contained the word "house", and the four headed in. Helping Jaune along, she saw all his sisters watching from the porch: from awestruck Verte, to giddy Rouge, to Violette. Quiet, considering, but not nearly as hating.

* * *

Pyrrha settled in for bed, wearing some borrowed sleepwear from Rouge, and tried to keep her mind on the good parts of the day. They discussed vague plans for tomorrow, made small talk with the Arcs, and the whole team relaxed through the bone-deep weariness of training. For the first time in what seemed ages, she was eager for sleep.

Sometime in the night, she shot awake with a shout.

Nora, blessedly, was beside her in a heartbeat, checking on her. Only a few beats later, Jaune slammed open the door, wide eyed.

"Pyr!? Is everything-"

"It's okay, Jaune, I got her." Nora said soothingly, still holding onto her. "Head back to bed, I'll keep an eye on Pyrrha."

Jaune stayed in the doorway for a while, nervous, but he shut the door quietly behind him, leaving the girls on their own. Pyrrha sat for a long time, leaning against Nora in the dark, trying to not think.

"Not the first time for me, just so you know."

"What?"

"Ren. He had nightmares for a long time after… after it happened. I'd sit next to him just like this. He was so calm when he was awake, but he was always scared when he was asleep."

Pyrrha stayed quiet, not wanting to break the spell.

"That's how I helped take care of him. Ren would be calm, and plan and stuff during the day, and when we went to sleep? I'd sit right next to him and help keep everything away. That was when I realized I wanted to help people; not just Ren, everyone I could. I wanted to make sure everyone could sleep at night.

"For as long as I can remember, I only had Ren, my only family. Not anymore, now I have Jaune and you. If you ever need me, Pyrrha, I'll be there. I know, you've got Jaune, but I'll be there for you too." Nora's voice hitched a little, and Pyrrha felt her friend lean against her just the slightest.

"Nora… can we stay like this? For a little while longer?"

"Sure thing… sis."

Slowly but surely, sleep reclaimed them, and Pyrrha tried to forget what she dreamed.

A distant dirt road, an arrow in the back, and evil golden eyes..

* * *

 **Post:** What's this? Actual plot? I'll be working a few more elements in as we go. Also, I'm pretty please with how Nora came out in this, and I do intend for Nora and Ren to become more involved.

Sral, thanks for the words of advice on Vi in last chapter; I was unsure if her silence came across as meaningful enough or not, but it may have been the wrong choice regardless.


	9. Hard to Read

**A/N:** Aaand we're back! So, Tuesday was an odd day to release that, sorry if that threw a few people. I'm glad to hear that last chapter's ending was so well received; I was hesitant to make a serious move towards a plot beyond JNPR's recovery when I started this story. As a heads up, I have another story I've been working on, so frequency for this may fall off a tad, but I'm not putting it down entirely. Thanks you for reading, and please enjoy chapter nine!

* * *

Jaune was normally not a light sleeper; he rose early, but he could sleep through plenty of noise. Hearing his bedroom door slowly creak open stirred the paranoid embers of a boy with many siblings, though, and Jaune's eyes fired open to spot the intruder.

Nora, and of course it was Nora, was frozen mid-sneak beside the door to his room. Not putting her foot down, Nora simply held a finger to her lips. Jaune mouthed a simple question, _"Pyrrha?"_ , to which Nora responded with a sleeping gesture before resuming her exaggerated creeping steps. Jaune sat up in bed to watch the festivities.

Slowly but surely, Nora stage-crept to the far side of the room, arriving at the foot of Ren's bed. With great care, she hoisted herself onto the bedpost, balanced herself on one foot, and struck a diver's pose. She leapt into the air, ducked her head to avoid hitting the ceiling, and smashed down onto the unsuspecting Ren.

"Good morning, good morning, good morning!" Nora whisper-sang.

"Ow." Ren replied.

Laughing into his arm, Jaune rolled out of bed. _"Alright, get a shower before the girls wake up, grab a bite, then get the team ready for a trip into town!"_ He snatched a towel while Ren was still trying to escape the wrestling lock Nora had put him in, and made a dash for the shower across the hall. Not a minute after he shut the door, he heard the handle jiggle, followed by an exasperated "Ugh!" from one of his sisters. _"it's good to be the king."_

With Ren and Nora still waiting for the shower, Jaune was chowing down contentedly when his mother joined him. "Morning, Mom!"

"Morning, Jaune," his mother muttered between sips of coffee. "Your friends n' you have any plans for the day?"

Jaune started to answer, but stopped to finish chewing his toast after his mother glared at him. "Sorry. Yeah, we've got to go into town and pick up some things. I'm the only one with a real change of clothes, and we're getting a little smelly at this point." Claire only nodded at that. "We'll probably get lunch, and just kinda see the town?"

"Keep an eye on them; don't want our guests getting into-"

A loud banging cut them off as Ren fell down the stairs, Nora riding his shoulder the whole way.

"… trouble?"

"I got it, don't worry."

A glass of juice and another piece of toast later, and Jaune was off to check on the last member of their band. Just before he left, he paused. "Nora?"

"Yeah, Jaune?"

"How's she doing? Was everything alright?"

Nora grew more serious, but nodded: "A bad dream, she was fine the rest of the night. She should be alright now." He gave her a silent "thanks" before climbing the stairs. He entered quietly, and spotted Pyrrha still sleeping.

She was curled up near the top of the bed, and it looked like she and Nora had bunked together after her nightmare. Sometime after Nora had left, she must have snatched the covers for herself, but her hair was flung everywhere: a pool of red spilling out of blankets. A smile slid across his face as he took a seat on the other bed, content to just let his partner enjoy a few more minutes of deserved rest.

" _Well, a leader has to do unpleasant things occasionally."_ He made his way over to Pyr, and lightly shook her shoulder. Pyr curled into a tighter ball, but latched onto his hand. "Time to get up, partner," he said softly, jostling her a bit more. He heard a few grumbles, but eventually a head slid out from under the blankets, frowning at him.

"Morning, Pyr. Nora and Ren are eating breakfast, and my sisters are using up all the hot water. Time to get up!" Pyrrha harrumphed at him, ducked back under the covers, and called back in a drowsy voice.

"Get me when the hot water's back."

Lightning struck Jaune's brain. He made his way, quietly, to the end of the bed. _"How the hell did Nora do this? There's like no footing?!"_ He was barely staying on the lip, but he still had a mad grin on his face. "Pyr, are you sure you don't wanna wake up?"

Pyrrha grumbled something, then stuck her head out again to see why he'd moved. A single bleary eye shot wide as Jaune catapulted off into the air towards her.

Jaune thought himself a decent planner, thought he could think up strong plans on the fly.

This was not one of those occasions, apparently.

Instinct seized Pyr, and she rolled off the side of the bed in a flurry of blankets as he reached the apex of his short leap. With the cushioning pile of blankets, pillows, and teammate removed, Jaune bounced off the empty mattress and rebounded into the sturdy wooden headboard with a resounding smack.

Crumpled against the frame, Jaune heard a hasty "I'm sorry!"

* * *

Pyrrha was relieved to escape the Arc house, and Mrs. Arc's shifting mood. The older woman couldn't decide to be amused at her son's minor misfortune, or disappointed in Pyrrha's injuring him. JNPR had made their way into Bar proper to find collect the essentials, and topping the list was clothes. Pyrrha hadn't realized how out of place the team looked in their worn combat gear until they reached town. Jaune, in his hoodie and jeans, just kept happily rambling about that mall and this restaurant, while Pyrrha had been too busy noticing people rubbernecking as they walked along.

Now securely hidden away in the women's department with Nora, she was eager to have _something_ to wear that wasn't her combat gear or secondhand from Jaune's sisters. _"Some running clothes would be useful, a few changes of casual wear, something nice in case we go to an event, a rain jacke_ t _... You really forgot how many things you needed in a wardrobe until you have to build one from scratch."_

"Sooo, how're ya doin?" Nora asked, comparing a pair of white and pink running shorts to a pink and white pair. "You slept better the second time."

"I'm doing much better, thank you Nora." It felt a little gruff, but she didn't want to ruin the morning with talk of night terrors. "Which do you think is better?" She held up a pair of tops.

"The red one! Red's your color anyway, you'd look a little weird in yellow. Now, _with_ yellow, you'd go great!" Pyrrha decided now was a good time to count the threads in the shirt, and Nora started to giggle. Damn her.

"Speaking ooof…" Nora trailed off, hanging just behind her. Pyrrha shook her head. "Oh, come on, Pyrrha! You can talk to me about it, you know that. Promise I won't tell, not even Ren." She snorted at that.

"Oh, I can too keep a secret from Ren! There was the time I stole all the syrup, well the time I did that and he didn't know, and he doesn't know I hate his health drinks! And he doesn't know I lo-ook at those jeans, Pyrrha! They're perfect!" Nora ran over and grabbed a pair of jeans Pyrrha was fairly certain a man left here by accident; she had a wild look in her eyes.

"Practice what you preach, Nora." Nora's eloquent counter was to stick her tongue out at Pyrrha, then look very nervous.

"Fine! I love Ren, happy? Whenever we're together I feel like my stomach's trying to do gymnastics and I can't think straight! He's handsome and nice and he knows what I like and he never treats me like a burden and he keeps his hair dyed pink because its my favorite color but I'm-scared-i'll-mess-it-up-and-we'll-be-awkward-and-I-don't-want-that-with-us!" Nora seemed to come down from the minor panic attack, sucked in a new breath. "So how are you and Jaune?"

" _Turnabout is fair play…"_ Pyrrha wanted to avoid answering the question, because answering would entail talking about _that night_. But Nora was her friend, Nora would be there for her, and giving her half the story would be disingenuous.

"We're… in a strange place." Nora seemed extra interested, and waved for her to continue. "I feel like something's going on; sometimes Jaune has a hard time meeting my eye, and I feel like we're more physical. Jaune's whole family is physical, though, so I don't think that's fair."

"Has anything happened? Other than him jumping in bed with you?"

"Nora!" Pyrrha vainly hoped the blush would be taken for frustration, but her friend was undeterred. My, those threads really were fascinating!

"We… mayhavekissed," Nora's face lit up like a bonfire, but Pyrrha cut her hopes off: "Then I shoved him into a locker to keep him safe while I fought someone immensely powerful." the words were ashes in her mouth, Nora's joy turned to sorrow in an instant.

"He hasn't said anything, and neither have I. With my… emotional state the way it's been, I think he's been focusing on making sure I'm alright, and that's wonderful, but. But things should be different, right? Actually different, not this on-off we're doing?"

Nora had switched from sad to thoughtful before she was even finished, looking off into the distance. "You haven't mentioned it to him?" She shook her head, "I think he's scared."

"Of me?" She was horrified at the notion! The last thing she wanted was to push him away.

"No! It's just, well, you kinda jumped him with it, didn't ya?"

"I suppose I did?"

"He may not know what to make of it, Pyrrha. I mean, you thought you were going to die…" Nora slowed at the thought, but regained her strength, "people do crazy stuff in situations like that. Jaune's, well, Jaune, so he's probably doesn't know what to do right now. And if you aren't talking…"

"He thinks I'm avoiding it." Pyrrha smacked her head into her hands, not needing to see Nora was nodding sagely.

"One more question!" Pyrrha peeked between her eyes. "How was it?"

'Pyr' was fighting for the reigns, wanting to babble at Nora about the whole thing, but she was saved by her scroll going off. Composing herself, Pyrrha answered the call.

"Blake? Good to see you, how is everyone?" Her friend looked worn, as if she'd had very little sleep, and she offered a weak smile.

"Hi, Pyrrha. Team RWBY could be doing better…"

* * *

Pyrrha and Nora had come to find them, and the four were sequestered in a back corner of the store, gathered around Pyrrha's scroll and Blake's image. Jaune did a quick spin to see if anyone was prying before turning back, and nodded Blake the all-clear.

"Before we left for Patch, Weiss' father arrived." Blake had about 150% of their attention now. "With all the havoc in Vale, he managed to take Weiss away before anyone could really respond. Yang and I tried to stop it, but Weiss didn't want us to leave Ruby alone or to cause trouble for ourselves. Her father's men just snatched her away."

Jaune couldn't keep it back any longer. "What? How? How do they even have the power to do that, doesn't Weiss have rights?"

Blake just arched an eyebrow at him. "This is the head of the Schnee Dust Company, Jaune: 'rights' aren't really a priority for him. Trust me." Jaune flushed horrifically at that.

"Right, sorry."

"Yang, Ruby, and I left for Patch yesterday, as planned, and we're staying at their house. On bright side of all this, Ruby woke up this morning." Relief, though tainted by earlier news, washed over JNPR. "Ruby isn't taking it well. Weiss is gone, Beacon's gone, and apparently her uncle is dead. Yang is trying to help, but she's still recovering herself.

"Tai and I are doing what we can, but neither of them are in good shape. If you guys can get the chance, try calling Ruby? I think some extra friendly faces would help her spirits; she spends most of her time holed up in her room."

"We'll make sure to reach out." Ren's voice was warm and sure, and the rest of the team were quick to agree.

"Thanks, it'll mean a lot to her. But how are all of you? Yang will want to know."

Jaune, being the fearless leader that he was, delegated to Nora. "We made it to Bar no problem, and we've met Jaune's whole family! He's got three really scary older sisters, three adorable little sisters, and one clone!" Jaune made to protest… _"You know, she isn't wrong."_

"Clone?" Blake seemed a little lost, and he supposed it was his fault for picking Nora, of all people.

"His sister Rouge looks just like him." Ren supplied.

"How close is 'just like'"?

"It feels like we're at the Dance again." Pyr was barely holding back, her emerald eyes dancing.

"Well, that answers the question of why you had a dress that fit you, Jaune." Again, Jaune made to challenge… _"damn it, why can't I win one of these?"_

* * *

Their first foray into Bar a success, JNPR returned to the Arc household laden with bags. In a town this size, only Jaune could hope to recreate his exact combat outfit, but most of JNPR were more than content to just have properly fitting clothes again! Nora was "helping" Ren break in some of his new cooking equipment, while Pyrrha had settled in the living room with Jaune to finally get down to brass tacks: comics.

"Isn't it a little odd to read 'The HuntsMan' when we are Hunters ourselves?" She was honestly curious about Jaune's selection. She herself had settled on the tale of a wandering musician and his heroic deeds.

"It's not _really_ about a Huntsman, Pyrrha, he's a combat-trained vigilante with an unlocked aura: Completely different! He uses his abilities to fight crime in his city, not Grimm."

"But RWBY fought criminals in Vale all the time?"

"Yeah, and we've already established RWBY are weird. They're doing stuff straight out of comic books, for crying out loud!" She laughed a bit, feeling only slightly guilty at calling their friends 'weird'. It was rude, but…

"Well, I'm content with my selection! You kept going on about 'Maedre', and now it has a chance to prove itself." She felt Jaune perk up, and lean over to see which copy she had.

"Oh, you're finally gonna read it! You'll love it, Pyr, I promise. Let me know when you reach issue twent-" she cut him off before he could spill the beans.

"Jaune, spoilers! I'm sure you'll know when I reach whatever it is, because I'll freak out."

"You, freak out? Not likely: my partner is cool as a cucumber! While her partner is just plain cool." She looked Jaune dead in the eyes, then rolled hers. The two fell into a comfortable silence then, reading their stories.

Pyrrha did enjoy 'Maedre', but after a few issues, her mind kept returning to her talk with Nora. _"I need to talk to him about it."_ The thought was an iron weight around her neck, concrete over her feet. She kept losing track of the story, and eventually set it down entirely. "Jaune?" Her partner hummed and peeked over his comic.

" _I have to tell him, I have to talk to him. I'm going to talk to him!"_ She started with less conviction than her mind professed: "I need to talk to you." Jaune promptly set his comic down and focused on her across the couch, giving her his full attention.

"I…" _"I'm going to tell him! I'm going to tell him!"_ "want to say thank you, for stopping me at Beacon."

" _I'm going to chicken out! GAAH!"_ She mentally kicked herself in anger, but she couldn't say it! She focused back on Jaune, though; this wasn't what she meant to discuss, but it was still serious. Jaune was watching her, nervous concern plain on his face.

"I wasn't… I didn't… trying to go fight was the most idiotic thing I have ever done, and pushing you away was a terrible thing for me to do. You were trying to look out for me, and in the end, you saved me from my own arrogance. Thank you, Jaune, I'm sorry." She looked down at her crossed legs for a moment, but looked back up, knowing she needed to face him.

Jaune rested his hands on her shoulders, giving her a warm smile; she felt her heartbeat pick up oh so slightly at the gesture. "Pyr, you don't need to thank me for anything, and you don't need to apologize either. I was… angry when it happened, but that didn't matter. You did."

She gave him a teary-eyed smile in return: "I suppose it's a wonderful thing you're a fast thinker, even if you're plans are a tad strange."

"Well, you do strange things for the people you l-"

"I hope I'm not interrupting?" Pyrrha locked up like clockwork at the most assuredly interrupting voice, but slowly managed to face it. Mrs. Arc was standing in the doorway, smiling at them.

Pyrrha suddenly became _very_ _aware_ of the fact she and Jaune were sharing a small couch in an otherwise unoccupied room. Casually, or she hoped casually, she scooted away from Jaune. Jaune, who had apparently been leaning on her, lost his balance for a moment, then started inspecting his shoes.

She suddenly found her own boots fascinating, and Mrs. Arc resumed somewhere above her.

"Ren wanted me to let you know dinner's just about ready; he and Nora whipped something up as a thank you to the family. So, find a good place to stop in your comics," the tone left no doubt she thought they were up to something else, "and join us in the dining room."

By the time Pyrrha had the courage to face Jaune, her partner was already speeding out of the room. Pyrrha sat in the living room as Jaune left, utterly ashamed of her own cowardice.

"Shit."

* * *

 **Post:** Pyrrha! Who taught you language like that? RWBY makes a brief return and Momma Arc strikes again! Slowly but surely, like the eventual heat death of the universe, we'll be approaching Arkos. If I'm feeling magnanimous, it might even be this year /s. Thanks for putting up with me, folks.

Oh, and DreamingJay: sorry I made you cry last chapter.


	10. A Spark Between Them

**A/N:** Aaand we're back! I'll be doing some travelling soon (GenCon), so the next chapter may not be up for a while longer than usual. WPF hit 10k views recently, which is pretty neat considering I started this more to get chapter one out of my head than for any other reason! Now, while you read this, I'm going to wait patiently for Coeur to make me very, very sad in NTTF.

Anyway, on to the story. Thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter ten!

* * *

" _Well, you do strange things for the people you love."_ The almost-said words flung Jaune from the room. _"Jaune Arc, you're an idiot and a coward! And you can't even follow through with a dumb idea: what's Pyr supposed to think of you running away?"_

Pyrrha was trying to have a serious, emotional conversation with him. She was trying to talk about something that had been very difficult for her, and he ran off as soon as his _mom_ gave him an opening! And 'For the people you love'? It sounded fine in his head, but the moment he had time to really process, he realized how close he was to ruining everything. Pyrrha was trying to work through her problems, she didn't need him adding his own on top of them!

" _Now is not the time! We'll deal with… whatever it is… when Pyr is ready, not when I want."_ He sat down for dinner, Rouge taking her traditional spot next to him, and became utterly lost in his own mind.

Pyrrha hadn't talked about it, and while that was hard for him, he wasn't going to push her. A lot had happened to them, but Pyrrha had taken the worst of it, and he wasn't going to screw it all up by throwing his emotions at her.

Vaguely, Jaune was aware of being asked questions and giving empty answers. He was too busy kicking himself to really pay attention.

He didn't know if the kiss, and he could at least think about it, had been for him or for her, but he wasn't going to make life hard for Pyr by pushing. A part of him, he couldn't decide if it was the logical part or the pessimistic, was certain she kissed him because she wanted to experience a piece of intimacy before she did something deadly. Another said she wasn't just kissing someone, she was kissing _him_ , that this was the proof he needed.

Jaune couldn't meet her face that dinner, and hoped no one asked him something important. He couldn't get to his room fast enough; he would have taken up his guitar to soothe his nerves, but it was somewhere inside a pile of rubble. Perfect. He simply sat on the bed, fussing.

Jaune felt something snap on his head, and he looked up to see Ren standing in front of him, having just flicked his forehead.

"You have no idea what's been going on." It wasn't a question, Ren was a perceptive guy like that. He shook his head, and Ren shook his head in return.

"Among other things, you've agreed to spend most of Saturday shopping with Rouge and Marron, didn't veto your sisters watching us train, answered "yes" when your mother asked you who Team RWBY were, and agreed to make breakfast for Nora on Sunday.

"It's Friday, by the way, I know you've forgotten." Ren slowly eased himself down onto the bed opposite Jaune, who was processing what had apparently happened.

"I'm sorry?" His brother waved it off. "I was… kinda worrying over some stuff during dinner, I didn't mean to leave you guys high and dry."

"Care to share? We've half an hour until training."

"…girls."Ren arched an eyebrow in a move he had to have borrowed from Blake.

"I…there's… I suck at this!" He fell back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He heard Ren hum an agreement.

"I believe Pyrrha's advice the last time was 'You can't get it wrong if it's the truth'? Why not give that a try?"

"Now isn't the time! I just got my sisters to agree to me being a huntsman, is now the time to tell them how I got into Beacon? They'd take it all back! Hogtied in a closet, remember? There's too much going on for me to jump-" he stopped before he said 'Pyrrha'. "There's too much going on for me to bring relationship problems into the mix."

"You might be surprised, it might be the perfect time." Jaune looked down his chest at Ren, still sitting upright on his bed.

"You don't even know who I'm talking about!"

Ren gave him such a pitying look, Jaune could have been a dog in an animal rescue ad. "Jaune, you're my brother, I love you. But, I've spent a decade living with Nora; you are an open book compared to her. I know."

Jaune stared at Ren for a long time, trying to pick between embarrassment and relief. Eventually let out an explosive breath.

"Okay. Give me a sec to get this all straight." Ren said nothing, and Jaune set to putting it all together.

"It wasn't until the Dance I realized just how big I'd messed up. I thought Pyrrha had to have had boyfriends or dates before Beacon, that's why I assumed she had one to the Dance already." Jaune was reminded of a saying about assumptions, then.

"I was thinking to myself 'It's Pyrrha! She's kind, and smart, and funny, and beautiful, and understanding, and she can kick ass! Of course she's got guys tripping over her!' It didn't even occur to me everything back in Mistral would chase them off until we talked! I felt like the worst teammate ever!

"After the Dance, I started… thinking." Ren let a hum at that, and Jaune knew through long practice it was essentially an eye roll. "I decided I wasn't going to mess this up like I did with Weiss: I was going to go slow, carefully. Pyrrha is my best friend and my partner, I didn't want to screw all that up. But, then there was the Breach, and then the Festival started, and I didn't want to hurt the team." That had been his biggest fear; Pyrrha would reject him, and the strain would tear JNPR apart.

"Obviously, something's happened anyway." Ren's statement was really more a question

"Some… _things_ happened before it all went sideways, yeah. You remember how Pyrrha was during the tournament? I tried to talk to her; I said the wrong thing, maybe I came on too strong, I don't know. Whatever it was, it freaked her out and she avoided me all day. Then the attack happened…

"She's having a hard enough time as it is, she doesn't need me butting in with more crap."

Ren considered it for a long while before responding. "Jaune, it's your life, but I think you should put yourself out there. If you don't want to do what you did with Weiss, I understand, but don't stand by. There's a middle ground in all this."

* * *

By the time Jaune and Ren had joined Nora and her outside, Pyrrha had finished kicking herself over not being straight with Jaune. Unfortunately, Jaune still hadn't recovered from his mother's arrival, as he was still hesitant around her. The team made their way to their sparring circle, but they were joined by all six of Jaune's sisters this time.

She supposed Jaune thought letting them watch sparring up close would soothe their feelings about his skill, but she disliked giving up the team's personal time.

Noire, Rouge, and Marron all seemed curious to what training was like up close, while Rose and Verte showed the enthusiasm she was used to seeing on young fans. Violette, who had been far more civil at dinner, was showing that same intensity she had first seen on Nicholas and later Claire. She thought it might have been an improvement, given both parents' approval of her presence, but those looks were no less unnerving.

They paired off with partners, as usual, and they set to training.

Things seemed… wrong, she couldn't properly describe it. Her strikes always seemed just a tad off the mark, her dodges slow and deflections improper. To someone else, she doubted anything looked wrong, but she could _feel_ it. As the spars went on, the feeling increased.

By the end of their first hour, Jaune's sisters were beginning to lose interest; seeing Jaune be disarmed or "killed" every fight was probably not particularly interesting. One by one, a sister excused herself and headed inside, until only Verte and Violette were left. She normally tuned out audiences, but Pyrrha found herself unable to truly ignore them, just as she was unable to shake the feeling she was doing something wrong. Verte was still watching all four of them with a look of wonder, but Violette only seemed to care about the brief exchanges after a match.

When she and Jaune would stop to catch their breath or prepare for a new fight, she would quiz Jaune on the previous spar, and it was only then Violette seemed truly involved: listening to their question and answer. But even in this, even with Violette's opinion seemingly on the line, Pyrrha had a nagging feeling she wasn't doing something right. She could feel her frustration build, and she knew it was making her sloppier, Jaune pressing her harder and harder.

It finally snapped when Pyrrha went for an overhand swing, more a butcher's chop than an actual attack, and Jaune stuck her wrist with his shield. Milo tumbled out of her hand, and Crocea Mors was against her neck before she could pull back. Jaune had won.

He did win, very, _very_ , occasionally, but this should not have been one of those occasions, she was sure. Jaune was sure, as well; he was eyeing her with a fair amount of worry. "You feeling alright, Pyr?"

She nodded tightly in response. "I suppose I'm just a little out of sorts. Short break?"

"I think we'll head in, actually!" Nora chirped. "I'm exhausted! Come on, Ren!" Nora dragged Ren along behind her, and Verte followed them, talking animatedly to Nora. Violette hung back, as If to see what Jaune would do, but he waved her off.

"Head in, Vi, we'll be out here for a little while longer, and it's no fun watching spars in the dark." Violette looked as if she would object, but decided against it.

"I think I'll head home, actually. Have a good night, Jaune, Pyrrha." She gave her sweaty brother a loose hug, then turned for the house, hair swaying behind her. Jaune moved to where Pyrrha had sat down, dropping onto the grass next to her.

"Sorry. About running off earlier." Jaune was hesitant, embarrassed.

"It's alright, I understand…" That made two of them.

She thought to talk to him about it, to explain, but she still couldn't bring herself to it. Instead, they sat side by side, worn muscles easing.

"Do you mind if we go again? I felt out of sync most of our spars." Jaune looked over to her curiously.

"Kinda noticed that, but sure!" He hopped up, and offered her his hand. Smiling, she took it, and they soon resumed their fight.

The feeling of wrongness was even worse. Nothing was going where it was _supposed to_. Everything felt _wrong._ She felt her tense anger snap again, but this time she wasn't disarmed. She thrust Milo at Jaune, he hopped back out of reach, and a small burst of electricity shot from the point of her blade to strike Jaune's breastplate.

It was small, but it skittered across his armor for a brief moment before dissipating. Both of them stared at Milo.

"Pyr," Jaune began with a hint of fear, "what was that? Milo doesn't use dust like that."

She was staring at her unfamiliar weapon, but her mind was drawn off. Off, to calling lighting on empty roads. Her nightmare.

No, not a nightmare, a _memory._

"Jaune, what do you know about fairy tales?"

* * *

Jaune had a vague idea of what had been happening, something to do with a fairy tale that was real and Pyrrha being asked to do something, but he hadn't pressed for details. Pyrrha needed to breath, he wouldn't force her to go too fast. But, sitting in their makeshift training circle, Pyrrha told him the whole story. Everything.

She started off distant, legs hugged to her chest, stopping every few seconds to think her next sentence through. But as the story moved along, and Pyrrha became more animated, she moved closer and spoke faster. By the time she reached their talk about destiny, she was leaning against him again, just like then.

He was terrified there would be a repeat incident.

She managed to keep control, however, and they made it to the basement before her voice ran out. _"Just before… it."_ The thought was a little sour, but he understood. Big things first, and these Maidens were definitely big.

"So…" he wasn't sure where to start, but when had that stopped him, "you think the lightning thing is...?" Leaning against his shoulder, she nodded. "Right. Any idea what's supposed to happen? I mean, you're still you, but did they say anything else?"

"Losing my sense of self was the only thing I worried over, but this has never been done before, Jaune. We have no idea what the results will be."

They lapsed back into silence for a time. He would look down at her, leaning on his shoulder, then snap back to the sky. _"Smooth, Jaune. Real smooth."_ He screwed his courage up, and tried to talk.

"I don't know how I can help, Pyr, but I want to. If you need anything, just say the word and I'll be on it. We'll figure this out, I promise." There was a brief pause.

"Thank you, Jaune, it means a lot to me." He stretched out his arm slowly, planning on wrapping it around her. He chickened out last minute, and started to rub her back lightly instead.

"Sure thing, Pyr." They were back to silence, but it didn't feel like a bad one. Maybe a little awkward, but not bad.

"It was you, by the way. You were what I never expected." Jaune didn't know whether he should dance or vomit, remembering what he had told her that day.

"Pyrrha, I don't think I believe in destiny," He stood up and reached down to her, "but I do believe in you." She took his hand, he lifted her to her feet.

...

"That sounded a lot cooler in my head."

She squeezed his hand, "It's the thought that counts?"

They headed to the house then, in companionable quiet. And if neither bothered to let go of the other's hand? Well, that was just where they were.

* * *

 **Post:** Nora Valkyrie: Ultimate Wingwoman.

Get it?

Oh Jaune, one day you'll be as cool as you hope, but I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! By the way, have I mentioned how much I like making shitty jokes with the titles? Because I love that.


	11. Fight or Flight

**A/N:** Aaaand we're back! Oh boy, GenCon was a thing; A little sleep, a lot of gaming, and way too much expensive food! Then, I come home to an eclipse, which was fun (though not as fun as being in a totality zone). But now, the real world is calling, which sucks as usual. Well, I hope y'all have been doing alright, and I do apologize for the delay in this chapter's release. I'm also sorry if it's not up to my normal level: bit of rust, and all that. Thanks for reading, and please enjoy chapter 11!

Quick shout out to Solvdrage! I love your Arkos, even if you do tend to add a few more letter to it.

* * *

Pyrrha did her best to look appropriately regretful as Jaune pleaded for his team to save him from his shopping trip with his sisters; as his partner, she needed to show at least a token level of solidarity.

Said solidarity came in the form of a "Have fun, Jaune" and a salute of her spoon as he was dragged from the room.

Their talk last night, and the following discussion with Ren and Nora, had been wonderfully soothing for her, but Pyrrha understood Jaune needed some time with his family. Trouble with the Arcs had been one of her partner's great concerns at Beacon, and reminders that they understood his choices were important to his own health. So, she and the remainder of JNPR found themselves enjoying their breakfast with young Verte and Rose.

The girls were watching Nora with the same mix of awe and horror that Pyrrha had worn the first few times she saw her ginger teammate eat. Nora was well on her way to finishing a ten-egg omelette with a side of hash browns.

"How are you so thin?" Rose asked in a shaky voice.

Nora saluted with her fork before swallowing: "Exercise, ladies. I got the best training program in Beacon! I've gotta stay strong to use Magnhild, plus Ren's cooking is delicious!"

Verte had a hungry look in her eye, and Pyrrha was sure it had nothing to do with the meal. "Can I hold your hammer?"

"Can you?!" Nora was on her feet and hauling Verte away before her fork could hit the table.

"Be careful!" Pyrrha, Ren, and Rose both called after them. The younger girl gave them a beaming smile at that, before returning to eating.

"She'll remove the dangerous parts, don't worry." Ren assured Rose. "Nora is exuberant, but any Hunter understands weapon safety." Rose nodded at that, and the three resumed. Their peace was briefly interrupted by Nora barreling downstairs with Magnhild, Verte swinging on the back of the slung hammer, and ducking outside.

Rose watched her sister go with a worried smile, eventually turning to Pyrrha. "I'm kinda worried Verte wants to be a huntress. Ever since we learned Jaune got into Beacon, she talks about how cool it would be. Plus, you guys are really cool, and Verte thought you sparring was awesome. I mean, it was awesome, but ya know." Pyrrha thought very carefully before answering.

"Verte is old enough to go to a combat school; she'd have to apply soon, but wouldn't have to go until next year. They're very safe, and she may just work it out of her system." Many students did just that, opting for careers with significantly lower mortality rates. Rose seemed somewhat placated by the comment, but still unnerved.

"I'm sure Verte would love to have someone with her, should she go." Ren's words were quiet, casual, but Rose locked onto him. "Not everyone who goes to a combat school has to become a fighter: people can become teachers, doctors, or writers and still have been to combat school. If Verte does works it out, then she can always pursue something else. It is still a school."

"Yeah…" the younger girl was hesitant.

A thought occurred to Pyrrha, and she decided a change of topic would be advisable. "Will school be in session on Monday?" The Vytal Festival usually got people out of school for another week, but the festival was over prematurely. _"And isn't that the understatement of the year, Pyr."_

Rose flopped back in her chair, letting out an exasperated groan. "Yeah, school's back in. And Jaune just got here! At least you guys aren't going anywhere, right?"

Pyrrha nodded a confirmation, "We don't have plans to go anywhere soon." She wanted to reach out to Miss Goodwitch, and all of them agreed they should visit Patch eventually, but there were no hard plans.

"Can Verte 'n I have Jaune tomorrow? We won't be able to hang out as much later."

"Of course! Jaune is your brother, you don't need to ask us for him!" Pyrrha would be lying If she didn't feel a little flattered though.

"Awesome, thanks Pyr!

"Uhh, it's okay if I call you Pyr, right? That's what Jaune calls you?" The caution in her voice was so very Jaune, Pyrrha barely kept from giggling.

"Of course, Rose, it's fine."

"Can I call you Pyr, Pyrrha?" Ren added playfully. She nudged him with her arm before countering.

"Only if I can call you Renny." He scowled lightly at the name, though she knew there was no heat in it, before going back to eating.

An ominous 'thwump' sounded from outside, and Pyrrha instantly recognized it as Magnhild firing: she and Ren whipped in their seats towards the noise. They held their breaths, waiting to hear the explosive land.

When it failed to, they visibly relaxed in their seats.

"Like I said, no reason to worry." Ren offered to Rose.

* * *

"Ya know, you two could carry some of this?" Jaune was desperately hoping his little sisters weren't leading him towards a fountain or something, because the mound of boxes and bags he was lugging blocked most of his view.

"What would be the point of bringing you along if we carried the stuff?" Marron sounded completely serious, and she probably was.

"My company?"

"Bro, we have your company at the house all day. This trip is payback for ditching us for Beacon!"

"And for wearing a dress at Beacon!" Rouge fired back.

"It was one time!" He complained.

"One time is too many!" Rouge hissed. "Why'd you even do that?"

Jaune shuffled his boxes uncomfortably: "I said I would wear a dress if Pyrrha didn't have a date to the dance, and she ended up not having one. It was a bad night, it cheered her up."

Marron started to aww at the story but cut herself off: "Wait, how did Pyrrha not have a date?"

"That's what I thought! Pyrrha's really good, it intimidates a lot of people; look what you guys did yesterday."

Marron made a soft "huh" in front of him, remembering her own interest in Pyrrha's box cover. Rouge plowed on ahead, though.

"You fanboy over her being on Pumpkin Pete's? Betcha did!"

Jaune was embarrassed to admit it, but he had for a little while. He felt bad about it now, as he knew Pyrrha hated stuff like that; thankfully, he hadn't totally ruined their introductions. He might not have been alive otherwise.

"Well, she thought he dress was hilarious, so I managed to make something out of the night. We absolutely killed it on the floor, too."

"You and Pyrrha danced together?" Rouge sounded surprised.

"Well, yeah. I didn't have a date either; Nora told you how that went. JNPR did a routine Ren taught us, too, which was pretty cool." _"Though that had been the most frustrating Saturday ever."_

He could faintly hear his sisters having a hushed argument. Usually a bad sign for him.

"Alright, one more stop!" Marron shouted dramatically. _"Yup, bad sign."_

His sisters redirected him for a few minutes, before eventually pulling some of the boxes down. A men's clothing store proudly stood before him.

"No."

"Jaune." His sisters threatened,

"No! I like my look, it works!"

"Jaune, you're a Huntsman. You'll be eighteen soon." Rouge looked ready to rip him in half. "I am _not_ letting my grown-up brother keep wearing _a bunny hoodie_."

He gasped, leaning back from the traitors. "It took us forever to get the boxtops for this!"

Marron threw her hands in the air: "That was three years ago, Jaune! How does that thing even fit you still!"

"He ordered one a size too large, sis, he was 'planning ahead'. Like it or not, you have to come with us and we're getting you clothes. Either stay out here, or come inside and mitigate the damage." Rouge threw overly dramatic air quotes on the last.

Half an hour later, Jaune was once again carrying all the bags and boxes as they waited in line, but far more pleased at his defense of his look. Standing in line, something caught his attention. Marron noticed to.

"Jaune, no."

"Yes."

"No."

"Let me win once, Marron!"

For once, he did win. It was a little victory, to be sure, but by the time they got back home, Jaune was proud to show off the newest addition to his outfit. A brand new black hoodie!

With Beacon's loco proudly stamped across it.

* * *

Rouge had conscripted her brother into taking his old spot in the meal prep rotation, while Ren and Nora went for a run, leaving Pyrrha unoccupied until dinner. She had sequestered herself in her room with the next few issues of Maedre when she heard a light knock.

"You can come it." She marked her page and set the comic down just as Noire walked in. "Good evening, Noire, it's good to see you." Pyrrha made to get up, but Noire waved her down and sat in one of the room's chairs.

"Evening, Pyrrha."

Noire didn't continue, she simply studied her.

" _Does someone teach the Arcs unnerving gazes? I hope Jaune never takes it up."_ Pyrrha wanted to say something, but seeing as Noire had come to her, she had something to say first. Eventually, the short-haired woman spoke.

"You certainly don't make it easy, do you?" Pyrrha said nothing, holding her ground with a pleasant smile.

"I really want to hate you, you know. You're the closest thing to an embodiment of the danger Jaune is in, and I'm tired of waking up in fear of losing one sibling already. Knowing that any day may be the one where I'll never see Blanche again is almost crushing.

"And you're helping Jaune add to that weight, all three of you. It sounds selfish, I guess it is, but it's the truth. We're all terrified of losing him, of losing Blanche, of losing Dad."

"I know," Pyrrha softly placated, "Jaune worried about them at Beacon, and how you all would respond to his decision. I told him he could work it out." Noire frowned at her.

"You could at least be arrogant, you know. Or rude, something. But no, my brother's partner has to be a polite, helpful, well-spoken young woman. Ren is a perfect gentleman, and Nora is so chipper it hurts. That Weiss girl sounds like a bitch, couldn't you be like her? That'd make disliking you easier."

"Weiss can be difficult, but she means well; she just comes from a different background." She hedged, and Noire jabbed a finger at her.

"That right there is what I'm talking about! You're probably barely friends with Weiss, and you're sticking up for her. If I had a student half as polite as you, I'd dance in the streets: it's infuriating."

The woman took a long breath, focusing on the door.

"So, what am I supposed to do, Pyrrha? I can't stop Jaune, how am I supposed to deal with this?"

Pyrrha fought her natural instinct to look away, she knew weakness would be lethal. Metaphorically, at least.

"Trust him."

"Just like that? Trust Jaune to stay safe?" She snorted. "I helped raise my little brother, Pyrrha, I know how well he can stay safe: he's clumsy, he gets caught up in things, he's forgetful."

"He can block a direct hit from a Grimm more than five times his weight, he spends at least at least an hour a day training with a champion fighter, and he's already saved people's lives."

They were both quiet.

"Jaune is still clumsy, he still gets caught up in the moment, and he's still forgetful. But he isn't helpless, Noire, and he isn't alone. If I'm alive, he'll never be alone. I may not be an Arc, but I'll swear to it and mean it just as much."

Those intense Arc eyes again, and more silence.

"You really do mean that, don't you?" She nodded once. "I really wanted to dislike you, Pyrrha." The woman pushed herself up with an exaggerated sigh. "But, you can't always get what you want."

Relief washed over her, which she tried to desperately hide.

"By the way," Noire asked from the door, "who'd he save?"

"Myself, and indirectly our friends on RWBY. RWBY were the first responders at The Breach, Jaune got us there second, and in time to relieve them."

"And when did he save you?"

" _The day we met, the first time he called me Pyr, the Dance."_ "During the Attack, last week."

"Really has gone and grown up on me, hasn't he?" Again, she nodded once.

"Well, I suppose I need to spend more time with the new Jaune. I'll see you soon, Pyrrha."

"See you then, Noire." And like that, the woman was off. Pyrrha waited until she heard the steps go downstairs.

She jumped up and started pumping her fists into the air victoriously.

* * *

Jaune sat down on the work steps of the porch, enjoying the night air. Most of the house was turning in for bed, but he had one more thing to do. He pulled his scroll from his pocket, swiped through his contacts for a moment, and called the number.

"Jaune?" Ruby's voice was soft, tentative.

"Hi, Ruby. Can you talk? I get it if it's too late."

The line was quiet for longer than he'd like. "No, I can talk. Gimme a second." The call screen closed, and Ruby's face pulled up. "Heya, Jaune." Ruby's eyes were red, her pale face paler.

"Hey. Good to see you up this time, you normally don't sleep in so much!" Ruby smiled a little but didn't laugh. "So, how's Blake handling Patch? I think I did a bad job of explaining Bar to my team, they were not prepared for the air depot. My sisters are taking to them better than I thought." Jaune was walking on thin ice here, and he knew it.

Ruby kept calm while he talked, which was a good sign. "I haven't really been able to show Blake around yet, I don't get out of bed much. Dad and her get along though, which is nice." Jaune imagined Blake would get along with _Weiss'_ dad if it meant RWBY would recover.

Ruby laid down then, the world behind her tilting. She looked up at the ceiling past her scroll.

"Why do I keep losing people?"

"…" For once, even he couldn't force something out.

"I thought, if I was good enough, I wouldn't lose anyone else. But now Weiss is gone. Penny. Uncle Qr-" her voice hitched on the name, and Jaune could see she was crying.

"I'm so sorry, Ruby."

She sniffled. They were both quiet for a long time, Jaune simply trying to will his presence to his young friend.

"We can't do anything for Penny, or for Qrow, but Weiss isn't gone." He wasn't sure if Ruby was really listening or not, but he went on. "Weiss isn't gone. She's out there, and she needs you as much as you need her. I almost lost Pyrrha, really lost her, and I barely managed to stop it. But if I can do that, then you can get Weiss back, Ruby. You, and Yang, and Blake: I know you guys could do it."

"Why? We lost, I wasn't good enough", Ruby sobbed.

"We aren't allowed to be failures, Ruby, we've got a team relying on us." He smiled a bit, remembering their hallway talk months ago. Ruby cried a bit harder then, but he thought she might have tried to laugh too.

They were quiet for a while again, Ruby quietly crying while Jaune tried to be there for her. Eventually, Ruby wiped her eyes and sat back up in bed. "Thanks, Jaune. I gotta get some sleep."

"Any time, Ruby. Night."

"Night."

* * *

Verte and Rose spirited Jaune away moments after he finished breakfast, leaving Pyrrha to once again wish him luck. He looked more resigned than dejected this time around, so she supposed that was an improvement? Pyrrha was changing for a morning run when her scroll pinged.

It was Blake: _"Up for a talk?"_

" _Mind if it's while I run?"_ Something to keep her occupied while she moved could be nice.

" _I think I'll do the same, I'll call in a few."_

She had just finished her stretches and begun when the call came through. "Good morning, Blake!"

She could softly hear Blake's stride through the call: "Morning, Pyrrha. How are things in Bar?"

"They're going quite well, actually. Jaune's family has been very accommodating, especially some of his sisters. His youngest have dragged him off today, so I imagine I'll be without my partner until the evening."

The girl hummed lightly, "A little demanding, aren't they?"

"In their defense, they haven't seen Jaune in months. Besides, I've got plenty to keep myself occupied. How are things on Patch?"

"Ruby and Yang both had breakfast at the table this morning: first time since we got here. Qrow was important to all of them, it's hit them hard. Breakfast was a good sign, though. Yang's having difficulties physically, and she isn't sleeping well either."

"I'm not much better myself, I'm afraid." It was an unpleasant thought, but Amber's memories gave her some idea of what Yang was dealing with, in a way.

" _Her name was Amber. Did Ozpin tell me that?"_

Blake was still going on the line, Pyrrha put the thought aside. "Tai told me he's planning a grave for Qrow, he wants to put it up near Ruby's mother's grave. Yang says she'll take me up there in a few days, 'introduce me to Mom', as she puts it." Blake was trying to sound light, but the idea clearly unnerved her.

"How are you getting along with Mr. Xiao Long?" A safe change of subject.

"Hmm, don't let Tai hear you call him that. 'Mr. Xiao Long is at Signal, I'm Tai.' He's a good man, a lot like Yang. He's not having an easy time either, but he's trying.

"Yang told me he's dealt with depression before, I hope he'll be alright. I hope they all will."

"Well, it's a good thing they have a friend like you, Blake." Pyrrha assured. "You'll be there for them. It'll work out."

"I hope you're right. Ruby moving today is good, but Yang adjusting is still adjusting to her own situation. She needs help doing everything, which she can't stand. I think being the big sister is making her extra stubborn on the 'help' department. You know, she just let me brush her hair for her yesterday? Eight months we've been living together, and I just got to touch her hair yesterday!

"Thankfully, Tai made some calls, and it sounds like General Ironwood has some people working on a prosthetic. We need to stay quiet for now, it's a surprise, and it may fall through. Until then, though, we've got a long road. She's angry, Pyrrha. Angrier than I've ever seen her."

"I can understand: no one wants to feel helpless."

"That's how I feel sometimes. Yang feels miserable so often, and I do so little. I don't even know what got Ruby out of bed this morning! I keep telling myself that I'm helping, but it doesn't feel like I'm doing anything for them." Blake was nearly shouting by the time she finished.

"I know it's frustrating, but you _are_ helping, Blake. We just have to keep on. Just being there is helping, trust me."

Her friend took a deep breath, more labored than their few minutes of running would account for. "You're right, I need to stay in control. Sorry."

"It's alright, Blake."

The run was relaxing, and the two friends moved to easier topics, chatting between panting breath about easier times. Blake turned in early, no one really matched Pyrrha's stamina, and she returned to the Arc household to find Nora and Ren out.

She showered, changed into some of her new casual clothes, and plopped down on a couch to watch a bit of news. She'd been resting for half an hour when there was a knock on the doorframe, and Rouge poked her head in.

"Hey, Pyrrha, you busy?" The girl had that same grin Jaune had whenever he was scheming.

"Not really?"

"Good! Marron and I want to get some lunch in town before we're stuck with cafeteria food, come with us!" She was hauling Pyrrha to her feet before she could even respond.

* * *

 **Post:** Cliffhanger as shit, be back soon, folks! By the way, if you want an idea of the eyes I'm talking about, watch Jaune during the training scene in V4.


	12. Play it Off

**A/N:** Aaaand we're back! Quick turnaround on this chapter, but I felt bad about the delay on eleven, and I actually wanted to keep going on that one. I try and limit my word count however, and last chapter was the longest I've produced. So, I instead opted for the oldest tradition in storytelling.

Split off the back half, and add a cliffhanger.

But we're back early, so you guys aren't mad, right? Right? Right, moving on; thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter twelve!

* * *

She wasn't sure if her current predicament was the result of being overconfident after talking to Noire, or just her usual difficulties with refusing someone, but Pyrrha supposed the point was moot. Rouge and Marron had whisked her off into town without a moment's pause, talking about this teacher and that classmate the entire time. Pyrrha was content to let the younger girls lead the conversation, still not sure what to make of the invitation. One store did catch her eye, however.

"I'm sorry, but do you two mind if I check on something in there?" The girls looked over their shoulders' to the building she indicated, and Rouge gave her a questioning look. "It'll only be a few minutes, I promise."

Marron waved her on: "Sure, no worries Pyrrha. Pick something good!" Pyrrha rushed inside. A few minutes of detailing and haggling with the owner, and Pyrrha's order was set. She collected her receipt, and rejoined the Arc girls.

She didn't explain her errand, but neither girl asked, and they eventually led her a few more blocks to The Muse, a decent sized café.

"You'll love this place, Pyrrha, it's a big hit with most of the locals." Marron assured her. "Jaune and Mom like Green's Diner more, but the rest of us prefer here." She vaguely remembered mention of Green's in her tour as JNPR entered Bar, but that had been _very early_ in the morning.

The brick and hardwood café was spacious; indistinguishable music played from above them, the patio overlooking the quiet streets Pyrrha had always imagined filling Bar. Her friends knew the host, apparently, as he lit up seeing them. "Rouge, Marron! How ya guys doin?"

"Alright, Garnet, can we get a table on the patio?"

"Not a problem, just a minute." The black-haired boy led them out, laid down some menus, and collected drink orders. The girls returned to their scholastic diatribe almost immediately.

"Ugh, I don't want to go back to school; we have exams at the end of the month!" Apparently, academic fears were a family trait.

"I'm sure you'll do well, Marron. Jaune always fretted over tests, and he always came out fine." They both smiled at that.

"Yeah, if Jaune can make it through Bar High, then I can." Marron snickered.

Rouge piped up, next. "How'd big brother do, by the way? You guys always go on about combat scores and stuff, but it's still a school, right?"

Pyrrha was a tad nervous, but there was nothing to be _really_ embarrassed about. "Jaune was fairly average in academics. Well, maybe a little behind average, but he's shown improvement! Given he wasn't at a combat school, both his Combat and Academic scores are impressive. But yes, Combat scores are prioritized. The nature of the line of work, really." Both girls agreed with the assessment.

"Are you Jaune's study partner, too? Ren seems pretty smart, maybe he helps there." Pyrrha burst out laughing. "What?"

She got herself back under control. "I'm so sorry, it's just, it's just Ren has a _worse_ academic score than Jaune. Nora and I have to help _them_." The girls gaped openly at her. "I know. They don't always look it, but Nora has an exceptional memory, while Ren despises studying. He enjoys reading, but can't stand it as work.

"I do help Jaune study, though. He can get off track, I'm sure you know, so it helps him to have someone study with him. Studying is a dull thing for me, but he keeps it entertaining, thankfully."

Garnet returned with their drinks, though he watched her a little closer than she'd like. _"I hope he doesn't recognize me. The last thing I need is paparazzi in Bar."_

"So, how did Jaune do in school here?"

"He did alright, middle of the pack." Rouge supplied. "Jaune's more heart than brain though, so math was his hang-up."

"The same at Beacon, and dust chemistry." Rouge nearly did a spit-take.

"You guys let Jaune handle _dust?_ Jaune can't hold a sealed bag of flour without spilling it!" Marron looked positively aghast at the notion.

"He let us know beforehand, so no mishaps. But struggling with calculations means either half of the assignment was difficult." He'd taken quite well to Grimm Studies, and apparently leadership classes, but Dust was where she had to cover him.

"Good! You should have seen what the chemistry class looked like after- JAUNE!" Marron had stood up and began waving. Pyrrha turned in her chair to see Jaune and their youngest sisters moving to them; he was carrying several bags along with an oversized stuffed dog, but he tried to wave to her nonetheless.

Verte leaned over the rail towards them, snatching up Marron's drink. "Morning! Oh, can we join you guys? I haven't eaten all day, and watching Jaune carry stuff is exhausting!" Her partner let out a series of grunts she imagined were a comeback.

Rouge opened the gate to usher the three siblings in, while Marron waved inside, presumably to Garnet. Verte and Rose dragged another table over, while Rouge helped Jaune divest himself of the baggage. His little sisters sat in the seats next to her, while Jaune sat across, next to Rouge.

Garnet joined them just as the three were settling, and he let out a great laugh seeing them. "Jaune?! How ya doin?"

"Garnet?" Jaune was surprised, but rose to his feet to meet the boy. "Since when do you work at Muse?"

"About five months ago. Whatever, how ya been? We heard you were at Beacon?" The boy eyed Jaune's new Beacon hoodie as he looked him up and down.

"It's true, but my team and I came back after… you know." Garnet nodded solemnly at that. "Oh yeah! this is my teammate Pyrrha - I guess you just met?" Pyrrha herself stood, and offered a hand to the boy.

"Hello, a pleasure to meet you!" He took her hand, watching her curiously.

"Garnet Smith, I'm a friend of Jaune's from school. You go to Beacon with him?" She nodded. "Neat! Well, I'll give you guys a bit longer for orders." He headed back inside, while she and Jaune took their seats again.

"Garnet was in music class with me for two years, and a few others." Jaune explained. "What are you guys doing though?" Marron spoke up first.

"Rouge and I are getting a last hurrah before school. One more good lunch!" She and Rouge clinked their sodas together dramatically. 'How'd your shopping trip go?" All four girls smiled devilishly.

"We got some groceries, but we stopped by the arcade and we kicked butt!" Verte shook the teddy to emphasize the point. "I got Jaune to get me a cool Beacon jacket, too!" She went fishing for it, while the other girls barely suppressed laughter. The girls chatted amiably, while Jaune and Pyrrha just enjoyed being on the sidelines for a moment.

Their waiter returned, but before they could give orders, Garnet held up a hand. "Sorry, but you don't happen to be Pyrrha _Nikos_ , do you?" Pyrrha felt her smile slide from genuine to forced.

"Yes, I am." " _Drat!"_

"Awesome! Do you mind if I got a picture with you, or maybe a-" the young man had been fishing for his scroll, but Jaune had gotten up and started to bustle him off.

"Hey Garnet, I need to talk to you about something." His voice was steel sharper than Crocea Mors. The door closed none too gently behind them.

The five girls sat in awkward quiet, before Rose shattered it.

"Sooooo, that's a thing."

"Uh-huh." Marron eloquently responded.

"Oh! The groceries, we gotta get them back!" Rose hopped up, and began to swipe up bags. "Come on, Verte!"

"Huh? But we just sat dow- oh yeah! You're right, we need to get this stuff back! Marron, can you help?" The third sister was up and grabbing the teddy before Verte had finished speaking, and the three dashed off before Pyrrha could really process what was happening.

Rouge finished her soda, then reached over and did the same to Marron's. "Sorry, Pyrrha, I just remembered I have to go see a friend about tomorrow." The girl hopped up, downed some ice from her own cup, and headed for the exit her fading sisters had used. "Tell Jaune I'll cover our drinks, have a good one!" The girl practically sprinted around the corner.

…

"What just happened?"

She heard a door swing open, and twisted to see Jaune coming back out. His face was a little red, but he smiled when he saw her. Then frowned when he saw the empty table. "Where is everyone?"

Pyrrha scratched her cheek, still lost. "Rose, Verte, and Marron took the bags home, and Rouge said she had to see someone about school? It was all very sudden." Jaune sat back down across from her, looking over the street, as if he thought the girls would be poking from around corners.

"Huh. Well, they'll owe me for this stuff. Sorry about Garnet, Pyr. I talked to him, we should be fine."

She frowned at him. "Jaune, I do appreciate the concern, but I've been dealing with fans for years now. One photo wouldn't have been any trouble." He held up a hand in defense.

"I know, I know. But you don't like that stuff when you're just out, and Garnet's the kinda guy to let everyone know about this. Half my old class would be here in a couple hours if he had his way."

She pouted at him a moment longer, to make sure he got the point, but smiled and took the menu back up. "I'll trust you on this Jaune, but you don't need to bodyguard me all the time."

"You're my partner, Pyr, your happiness matters.

"And the pasta is really good here."

She hummed an affirmative, trying to not think too hard on his other statement: "I was thinking one of these gyros, honestly. But, you said you were in music classes?" Jaune laughed a bit behind his menu.

"Yeah, three years. I learned the guitar from Blanche, but I tried to pick some more stuff up in school: violin, saxophone, singing. They didn't work out, but I still got my sweet guitar skills!" He was good: the incident with Weiss aside, Jaune often practiced in the dorm.

"I tried to learn trombone." She felt his stare, and she hid behind the menu. "I thought I could use my semblance to improve my playing! It didn't work out…"

Jaune burst out laughing, and she was quick to follow. When her laughter had descended into mere giggling, she started to recount the fateful day her lessons ended. Garnet returned shortly for their orders, and he was very pointedly not looking towards her. She was, however, far too busy having a wonderful time to bother worrying.

* * *

"We were keeping the water balloons in the bathroom, but we carried them to the balcony when we decided to throw. Blanche and Noire are just spraying us with a hose from out back, but Vi was gone. Next thing we know, Rouge and I are locked on that little balcony, and Vi is throwing _our water balloons at us!_ We forgot to lock the door, so she just waited for us to run out of the room with the next handful!"

Pyrrha was red from laughter, and he was barely able to breath. He soldiered on, though.

"We had _a hundred_ balloons, but now Vi and Blanche are throwing them at us, plus the hose with Noire. We looked like drowned rats when they were done!"

Pyrrha started to snort, which she was always embarrassed by, so she turned a darker red. Personally, he thought it was hilarious, and also really cute, and laughed harder. Pyr took a deep breath, trying to force the laughter down. Jaune bit down on his tongue, trying to stop himself. Stopping the resulting giggles was a harder task.

Their cleared plates were in the middle of the table, his sister's empty drinks stacked next to them. Pyr had gone with the gyros and loved them, but Jaune had stuck to the spaghetti, his fallback here. Jaune's scroll buzzed, he fumbled it from his pocket, then his eyes bulged.

"We've been here for almost three hours?!" Pyr choked on her drink.

"Well," she coughed, clearing her throat, "time flies?"

"I guess." Jaune waved inside, hoping to get someone's attention. "So, want to do anything else? My sisters kinda ditched us." Pyr tapped her mouth for a moment before shaking her head.

"We should probably check back in at home. If we stay out any longer, it'd get in the way of dinner plans." He nodded, while Garnet stepped through the door.

"So, uh, is the bill…?"

Jaune went for his wallet, and he suddenly became very aware of something.

" _This…. feels a lot like a date."_ That may have been the most nerve-wracking thought he'd had in a while.

" _If this_ is _a date, then I should cover the bill. But if Pyrrha doesn't think it is, then she'd be weirded out by me trying to cover her. But if_ she _thinks it's a date, she'd be mad if I tried to split it. But Pyrrha's also my guest, so I should still try and cover her. But Pyrrha hates it when we try and cover her at Beacon. Why does this have to be so complicated?!"_

Jaune realized he'd frozen up, and both Garnet and Pyrrha were staring at him: Garnet confused, Pyr worried.

"I got it." He squeaked. Garnet handed him the cover, Pyrrha had an odd look on her face, he was too busy trying not to panic.

* * *

Panic was not a common emotion for Pyrrha. Worry, anxiety, even fear: those were feelings Pyrrha had dealt with before, to varying levels. But pure, unadulterated panic was a new feeling in her life. The Attack on Beacon was the flagship of that emotion in her life, she was certain.

The walk home with Jaune was rating a solid number two.

" _Oh God, was that a date? Were Jaune and I just on a date?! Boys pay for dates, and I always cover JNPR back at Beacon. But I'm staying with Jaune's family, would he pay for the meal for that? Did I talk too much about me? Oh no, what if I was boring! No, Jaune was laughing, and we talked about him too, right?"_

The two had been walking, in that awkward silence they _loved_ pulling out this month, for a while. Unconsciously, she crossed an arm across her body, then uncrossed it when she noticed.

" _Am I walking too close to him?"_ She wasn't sure if elbow range was too close or not close enough after a maybe-sorta-possibly date. _"How far apart do we normally walk? Are we always so slow, am I going slow and he's just keeping my pace? Oh, how did this get so far out of hand?! I was just trying to have lunch with his sisters-_

" _His_ sisters _."_ She felt her eyes widen in shock before immediately narrowing in suspicion.

" _Rogue and Marron invited_ me _out for lunch, but leave without eating? Their only reason because Verte and Rose_ conveniently _stop with groceries that can't possibly wait for Jaune to come back? Those… those… I don't know whats! They set us up!_

"… _they set me up? They set me up with Jaune?"_ Pyrrha had no idea if that was terrifying or comforting. Byzantine schemes to get her alone with Jaune weren't exactly regular occurrences in her life.

Jaune held a hand up to cover a small yawn, then stretched his arms. Pyrrha watched through her hair as one arm craned out behind her. Her breath caught. His arm hung behind her for a moment. Two.

Then settled back down by his side.

"Sorry, food's starting to get to me." He offered sheepishly.

"It's fine." She piped. _"Was he trying to…? Did I scare him off? Am I standing too far away?"_ She shuffled a bit on her feet, deliberating proper positioning as if she were in a match.

" _Pull yourself together, Nikos!"_ The Invincible Girl seemed to cry from her corner of Pyrrha's mind. _"Pull your act together and get in there!"_. As the two of them turned onto the drive to the Arc home, Pyrrha took her courage in both hands, and to the best of her ability, pulled a Jaune.

Throw caution to the wind and say the first thing that came to mind.

"You and I should go out again."

" _Not the undying confession of love I was thinking of."_ The still-not-helpful 'Pyr' noted, _"but good progress!"_

* * *

"You and I should go out again." Pyr said casually. Jaune's internal screaming went up a few notches.

" _Does she mean like a date? Is Pyrrha asking me out? What if she just means hanging out, she didn't actually_ say _'date'. But Pyr is nervous about this stuff, would she actually say date?"_

"That sounds like a wonderful time, Pyr." He managed to say in a totally calm voice. "So, we're still training tonight?" She nodded. "Cool. I think we should test… the thing tonight, too. Maybe see if we can get another response?"

Pyrrha focused on her shoes for a moment, thinking, before nodding in agreement. "You're right; we should try to figure this out."

Jaune hopped up the steps in front of her, holding the door open. Pyr smiled as she swept by into the house.

" _Do I normally get the door for her? Does it matter?"_ Jaune closed the door behind himself and headed up the stairs behind her. He couldn't help but notice four spots of blonde duck back into the living room as they went up.

 _"They're up to something, I know it._

 _"I don't know what, but my brother senses are tingling! I've got my eyes on you."_ From the corner of his eye, Jaune noticed Pyrrha heading up the stairs.

He felt a little bad, but he couldn't help it! Hormones were a powerful, cruel mistress.

 _"OK, one eye on them..."_

* * *

 **Post:** You know, i've considered adding other PoVs on multiple occasions, but a limited 3rd can be just so _fun_. I reached deep into myself for this chapter, drawing out all the awkward teenager I have left, and I like to think i did a good job.

BTW, Lloyd RPGFan, good foresight there! Second time a viewer has called a scene just before it arrived! Apparently, I need to mix my game up a tad. BRB, switching this to Martial Arcs.


	13. Keeping Contact

**A/N:** Aaaaaand we're back! I do hope y'all are doing well, and I hope my fellow Americans can look forward to labor Day on Monday! WPF has managed to hit 150 follows, 100 favorites, and 15K views with last chapter, and I'm so grateful that y'all enjoy my writing. WPF has also picked up beta, so my horrible grammatical errors should be on the decline. I'm misspelled "grammatical" three times just now.

Thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter thirteen!

Shandromand: this exists because of you.

* * *

Pyrrha fell down onto the soft grass, breathing hard as she heard Jaune do the same just beyond sight. "Fifteen minutes, then we go again." She huffed through her breath. Jaune grunted a response, his breathing far more labored.

It had been two weeks since they had begun to study her newfound powers, and their research was depressingly slow. It became apparent that extended combat most easily drew out her powers, so Jaune and she sparred later and later. At the moment, it had been nearly two hours since Ren and Nora had gone inside. Merely sparring had only produced the most minor of effects, however: a spark of electricity, a hushed breeze rising, a burgundy flame they couldn't extinguish in the most extreme instance. Wielding Milo like Amber's staff, two-handed and in spear form, had been the easiest way to provoke her powers; she would enter unknown stances, and strange occurrences skyrocketed.

So now, Pyrrha effectively spent two hours a night hitting Jaune with a stick, hoping for magic to happen. Joy.

Not that time beyond training had been wonderful, of course. She'd woken from terrifying memories of the Maidens on three occasions, as well as once recalling her fight with Penny. Nora had troubled dreams as well, and Jaune had woken in the night screaming bloody murder three nights ago. Noire and Jaune's younger sisters were getting along fine with JNPR, but Violette maintained her steady disapproval and clinical examination. Claire, meanwhile, played referee/guard dog over all ten of them.

To top it all off, while she had suggested and he had agreed, the two of them had yet to go into town together.

"Pyrrha," Jaune puffed, "I got an idea."

"What is it?"

"What about your semblance? We've been testing Milo and Akouo, but what about your semblance? Maybe that'd be easier, since it's a part of your soul." She wasn't quite sure herself, but really, anything had to be better than their current system.

"How do we go about it?" When Jaune got rolling, it was usually a good idea to let him work his way through. His best ideas came from off the cuff. Also, she admitted with some trepidation, some of his worst ideas.

"Well, how did Amber use her semblance with it?"

Actively recalling Amber's memory was the only thing she'd gained a modicum of control over. It was like remembering vivid dreams however, so recall was still spotty. Pyrrha closed her eyes, focusing on Amber, on the part of her mind she did not know.

"She… manipulated the wind. I think she did, at least. Before, it was slowing a fall or pushing a glancing blow away, but after she gained the power." Flight. Amber could fly. She could knock aside powerful blows, draw the wind into her own swings. "It made her stronger."

A clanking pulled her eyes open, and she saw Jaune heading over to her. He reached down a hand to help her up. "Let's see what you can do."

"And what will I be doing?" She added some extra concern for Jaune, in case this was one of _those_ ideas.

"Move me with your semblance!" He smacked his armor in emphasis. "We know you can move me around a bit already, but how far can you lift me? How fast? Stuff like that." She watched him nervously; yes, this sounded like one of those ideas. "Come on, Pyr. I know you can do it!"

"Alright, Jaune, just… hold still." She reached out, and a black glow surrounded Jaune's breastplate. Tentatively, she lifted him up. He slid down as his metal raised, but it carried him nonetheless. Jostling in his armor, his limbs swayed as she slowly spun him.

"Can we do straight lines, maybe? Getting a little sick here, Pyr."

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Jaune, I almost forgot!" She certainly didn't want to trigger his motion sickness. Jaune halted mid-air, and instead began to move up. She eased him a good twenty feet into the air, then pulled.

Jaune's arms stretched behind him as he sped down to the ground, his plummet halting just in front of Pyrrha, his surprised yelp abruptly cutting off.

"AAAA-oh. Give me a heads up, Pyr, that was scary."

"Sorry."

"But how was that? Notice anything?" She thought hard on the extent of her control the past minute.

"I think you felt lighter? I certainly moved you at faster speeds." No, she was certain, it had been easier to move him.

"Well, let's see what you can do!" Jaune sounded far too eager.

"Are you sure, Jaune? You may get sick." He waved it off.

"Anything to help you, Pyrrha, I promise." Jaune was staring into the night sky, an explorer eyeing unknown lands.

"Well, hold on." Pyrrha pushed Jaune back with 'half strength'. Her partner fired away from her almost immediately, and she reigned the force back in before he had time to make a sound. Jaune was halfway to the house, a good twenty yards in seconds.

"Definitely more than I could do before." She pulled Jaune back at a more reasonable speed; he was holding his head, and was an unpleasant green.

"Oh man, that was…" She nodded. "Gimme a second, but we can keep going."

He seemed to contemplate vomiting, but Jaune's stomach eventually settled, and he braced himself again.

"We're going up, this time." He firmly nodded. "At full speed, too." He paled, and she applied all her will to the upward charge.

Jaune let out a terrified howl as he rocketed into the night sky, a tail of black light seeming to stretch behind him. His velocity terrified a part of her, but she felt complete control over his flight. She was the master of her powers, in complete control.

Right up until the moment she felt it vanish.

 _"A range! I have a range!"_ The panicked bellow rang in her mind as she saw her partner rise higher and higher, gravity reasserting itself as he slowed: he must have been two hundred yards up, nearly the night of the cliffs at Initiation!

And as all things great and small, Jaune came to a halt, and began to fall. His voice was faint and bone chilling, but Pyrrha blocked it out as she prepared herself.

 _"No pressure, Pyrrha, you just have to catch him. It's just like Initiation: Jaune is falling, you're going to catch him. Except I don't have the elevation I had to pin him. So, it'll be my semblance then! Have I ever grabbed something so large and so fast before?"_ Well, she was about to find out.

She watched in trepidation as he gathered speed, his voice growing louder and louder. Once he was about where she had lost him, she flared her polarity. Darkness flickered around him, but it wouldn't take.

 _"No, no, no, no!"_ Fear, cold and unmitigated, gripped her. _"NO!"_ She felt a snapping, a breaking of tension she was beginning to understand, and Jaune's armor blazed in darkness. He was close, close enough for her to see the fear in his eyes, as she forced her power into stopping him.

Jaune's breakneck speed rapidly dwindled, but not fast enough: he was going to crash! She rushed to where he would land, preparing to catch him. _"I can move and use my semblance now, apparently_ ", a corner of her mind registered.

She had slowed him, but she wasn't about to drop him on his face after endangering him so. She released her grip on his armor just as he was above her, and held her arms wide.

Her partner plowed into her, and knocked them both to the ground, Pyrrha not having properly set her feet in her haste.

"Hrrrk." He moaned.

"Ugh." She countered.

She felt some of his weight lever off her, and she twisted her face out of the dirt. There was a red imprint on Jaune's forehead that bore strong resemblance to her armbands, and he looked rather disorientated.

"Okay… let's get me a parachute next time. Oh man, my head is killing me." He lifted one hand from next to her head to feel his own, flinching a tad.

Pyrrha pushed herself up to her elbows, getting off the stone that had been sitting square in her back. "Yes, well, that may not have been the best choice on my part. Apparently, I have an effective range where I can't control metals."

"Have you never tried before?" Jaune was honestly curious, but she shrugged.

"I do try and be subtle about it when fighting, and it's not like Grimm carry much metal."

"Huh. Wait, did you move over here while slowing me?" She nodded, his face lit up.

"Well that's new! Plus, I bet you never moved something that fast before. It's boosting your semblance!"

"I suppose it has." He was excited, but Pyr was beginning to note the… nature… of their positioning. Jaune was lying atop her, her knees rising to either side of him, their faces quite close. Close enough she could feel his breath, in fact. He was winded from the debacle, his breath coming in excited bursts. Was she leaning closer to him? Jaune's head seemed to tilt a few inches.

"I heard shouts, are you guys oka-" A mildly panicked voice cut off abruptly, both she and Jaune swiveling to see Rouge frozen just inside the clearing. With one spell broken, Pyrrha could hear more people coming. As if summoned, Nora burst onto the scene; she froze by Rouge, eyes bouncing the very short distance between Jaune and she.

She took hold of Rouge's shoulders and dragged her away from them. The Arc sister didn't so much as breathe.

With her face – no, her whole body – as red as her hair, Pyrrha extracted herself from under Jaune, jumping to her feet as Ren, Violette, and Claire broke through the brush.

"Jaune, what happened? Are you okay?!" The worry in her voice plain, a wild look in her eyes.

"I-I'm fine, Mom." Jaune stuttered, "We were testing Pyr's s-semblance. She lost hold for a second, but she caught me."

"Jaune, you were falling out of the sky." Violette added flatly.

"I caught him?" Pyrrha offered. The older woman glowered at her for a moment, but Jaune's cough pulled her away.

"Thanks for that, Pyr, but I would have been fine! My aura would have softened the landing no problem, Vi, I could jump off the roof and be okay."

"And the flying through the air?"

"Well, you can't get better at something without practice. If Pyrrha lifts me up again, we won't make the same mistake! I'm pretty sure even if she didn't catch me, it wouldn't have done much; you should have seen her landing strategy at Beacon."

Slamming into several tree trunks wasn't particularly elegant, she would admit, but she'd been in a hurry!

She had a partner to catch.

"We didn't mean to scare you guys, but everything's fine, I promise." Claire finally seemed appeased, while Violette maintained that same air of quiet disapproval she wore whenever JNPR were together. Ren finally took the lead.

"Mrs. Arc, no one is hurt; how about we all just head in? It's late, and I think everyone could use a little rest by now." Violette turned on her heel and strode off for the house. The Arc matron frowned at her retreating daughter for a moment, before returning her attention to Ren.

"I suppose you're right, Ren, and it's been a long day. Jaune, Pyrrha?" It was not an invitation, and Pyrrha was moving double time to the house.

* * *

Jaune made his way inside, wanting nothing more to crawl into his room and die from embarrassment. Rouge walking in on he and Pyr was bad enough, but Pyrrha practically sprinting inside was a terrible sign.

" _Good job, Jaune, you were really careful with that, weren't you? Taking this real slow."_ He scolded himself, shaking his head in frustration. His head was throbbing, so Jaune turned for the kitchen and an ice pack rather than the isolation of his room. " _Why can't aura be more consistent! Gun shot? Not happening! But I can still stub my toe?_ " He barreled through the door, stomping towards the freezer, and locked up.

Nora, Rouge, Marron, Verte, and Rose were in a huddle. Nora had her arms thrown up, probably in the middle of a rant, but all five of them were staring at the intruder.

He stared back.

No one moved.

"I need to get an icepack?" He wasn't sure why it was a question, but he suspected it was a good choice.

Only Rose broke from the pack, stepping behind them to get to the freezer. Nora twisted an upraised hand and waved at Jaune, so he waved too. Rose retrieved a pack, dug out a rag to wrap around it, and tentatively handed it to him.

"You doing okay, bro?" Marron asked with extreme nervousness.

He took a step back towards the door. "Yeah, just… hit my head." The five nodded. He took a few more steps; something told Jaune breaking eye contact would also be very bad. His sisters looked like mice in an open field, but Nora looked more like a…. like a…. like a Nora backed into a corner.

With utmost care, Jaune backed into the door, stepped through, and firmly closed it.

"Okay! Now, like I said, I've been trying for aaages -" Nora's voice faded as Jaune headed for the stairs, not wanting to be accused of spying on the apparent cabal forming beneath his nose. The Arcs had somehow converted Nora to their side, whatever it was, so now he had to watch out for a Nora plan coming for him. " _Just great, that's all I need right now._ " Ren was in their room, brushing his teeth before bed, and Jaune began to put away his gear. His brother held up a hand when Jaune went for his towel.

One spit and gargle later, Ren was sitting across from him: "So, how did training go?" Ren's voice was completely neutral, not a hint of playing.

"Not bad this time, actually. Pyrrha's semblance is stronger now: she can move things faster, farther, and she doesn't have to stand still to do it anymore.. We were seeing how fast she could move me, and we discovered she has a range."

"Your little flight?" He asked.

"Uh-huh, that. Pyrrha tried to catch me. I guess she felt bad about dropping me up?"

"Sure." The flatness bothered him, Jaune decided a bit of detective work was in order.

"Jaune, do you know what Nora is planning with my sisters?" Ren looked mildly guilty, but remained resolute.

"Yes."

"Will you tell me?"

"No."

"Will you give me a hint?"

Ren looked mildly annoyed at the line of questions, so he laid back onto his bed. "Jaune, I'm sure it would be for one the first three reasons you think of."

"But that doesn-" Ren cut him off.

"I won't tell you, but that's your hint. Now let's go to bed, covering for you is hard work, you know." Jaune threw a pillow at Ren in protest, but the boy simply caught the projectile and tucked it beneath his head. Ren clearly wasn't going to elaborate, so Jaune resumed getting ready for bed. He kicked off his shoes, grabbed his towel, and headed down the hall, fuming at Ren and himself and everything.

"I know it's a little hypocritical of me, but can't a guy get some clear answers around here?" He could expect that sort of thing from his sisters, and even Nora, but Ren? " _Traitor!_ " Jaune stretched out a hand to push the bathroom door open, and stumbled a few steps as the door opened just as he reached for it.

Growing up with so many sisters and so few bathrooms, Jaune had been completely prepared to share a coed dorm, no matter what his mother thought; a girl wearing just a towel was a normal occurrence in Jaune's life, nothing to get worked up over. Jaune wasn't doing a great job of remembering that as he collided with Pyrrha.

Her hair was up, she was a little red from the heat of the water, and she had a towel wrapped around her – " _FACE! Focus on her face_!"

"Oh man, I'm so sorry Pyr!" Jaune stepped out of the doorway, eyes firmly locked on Pyrrha's. He noticed she was turning redder herself, and decided the ceiling would be the better place to focus.

"Sorry, Jaune! I've just got to get by." Pyrrha's voice was a little higher than normal, which wasn't surprising. She slipped out of the bathroom, and tried to step to one side of the hall. Jaune, in his infinite stupidity, stepped to the same side.

They both adjusted, stutter-stepping to the other side. And again.

"Sorry, sorry!" Jaune finally planted himself against the wall, still eyeing the ceiling, trying to avoid the blood rushing to his face. He heard Pyrrha scoot past him, and he moved back to the bathroom. He did not slam the door, no matter what it sounded like.

Then he smacked his head on it a few times for good measure.

* * *

 **Post:** What? Don't give me that look.

 _sips water_

Thanks for stopping by everyone, and thanks again for your help, Shandromand.


	14. A Gift with Words

**A/N:** Aaand we're back! Hello everyone, I hope you've had a good time so far. There's not really much to report on this time around, so I suppose we'll jump right in? Thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter fourteen!

* * *

Jaune was out, his mother had asked him to head down to the post office to drop off a package for Nicholas. This, of course, was the excuse they needed to get him out of the house and everyone over without his noticing. Claire, the six Arc sisters, and JNPR were scattered about the living room, deep in conference.

"Girls, I know you prefer Muse, but Jaune does not: dinner will be at Green's, and it's not up for debate." Mrs. Arc declared with a playful smile, adding "Green's Diner" to the board.

"But Moooom!", Marron and Rouge whined together. Claire was firm in this, no matter how badly she clearly wanted to laugh.

"I already called, Mr. Green expects us. Now, your father isn't able to get out of Vale, but Blanche is getting the day, so she'll be joining us. Noire, you'd like to pick up your sister?" Noire nodded excitedly. "Right, but be careful: she's a surprise!

"Since we'd have to carry them both ways and space is already going to be an issue inside, it's best if you kids just leave any presents here." Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha nodded in understanding. The Arcs had long since mastered planning birthdays, but the three of them needed to be introduced to their process.

"And speaking of gifts…" Claire turned a meaningful eye on her younger girls. Rouge stood defiantly.

"We've got something, Mom! It's just not here yet." Her little sisters nodded in support. "Why do we always get the eye? What if Noire, Vi, and Blanche forgot?" Noire laughed a bit at that.

"First of all, Rouge, not only did you forget Jaune's birthday last year, you forgot _your own_ birthday once. Second, the three of us already have a gift: Vi is picking it up after this." Rouge sat back down, scratching her head and mumbling something about leap years.

"We'll meet at Green's," Claire wrangled them back on topic, "surprise Jaune with Blanche, and have dinner. After we get back, presents. Ren, you said to not worry dessert?" Her teammate smirked, nodding an affirmative. "Alright then, does anyone have suggestions?"

Verte's hand shot up. "Ooh! I can keep Jaune busy in the morning! I want him to show me how to use Crocea Mors." The older women in the room went from attentive to fixated in the blink of an eye.

"W-what?" Violette gasped. Pyrrha felt her heart speed up in fear, but Verte paid no mind to anyone else.

"Crocea Mors! It's an Arc heirloom, right? Well, I really want to learn how to use it! I bet Jaune would want to teach me, if I asked." Verte finally seemed to catch the mood, and her bright face darkened. "I want… I'll talk to you later, Mom. But I want to hang out with Jaune in the morning." The excited girl was dourer than Pyrrha could ever remember. She recalled Jaune's recounting his struggle to attend Beacon, and she suspected Verte was about to face something similar.

"A-alright then." Claire sounded terribly unnerved, "Verte has Jaune for the morning, does anyone have any _group_ ideas?"

"We could go to the park?" Noire offered. "It's supposed to be nice. Enjoy some sun, maybe a dip in the river?" The younger girls nodded in agreement, but Pyrrha _did not_ miss Claire watching her.

"Well, it could be an option…" His mother hedged. Pyrrha felt she should have been terribly offended by Claire's suspicions, but she could still recall part of her mind suggesting she 'accidentally' drop her towel when Jaune bumped into her the week before last.

"Mom, if we _have_ to eat at Green's, then at least we could do a picnic!" Marron protested, the posse of young sisters backing her up. Claire let out a sigh.

"Alright, we'll head to the park for lunch, make a picnic out of it." Rose and Verte high-fived. "Presents still at the house after dinner, though. I'm sure none of us want to go walking down the trail with gift wrapping.

"Anything else pressing?" No one objected. "Alright then, Jaune's 18th birthday is officially planned! Verte, you and I need to talk." Claire headed for her small study, with Verte and Rose trailing her.

Pyrrha pulled a light jacket from the rack by the door, and stepped out into the cool autumn breeze. The leaves had just begun their turning, hints of red and yellow in the seas of green.

" _This is my season now, isn't it? I am the Fall Maiden, and this is my season."_ The thought was chilling, moreso than the breeze. The past month had made it clear Pyrrha had gained some measure of the powers the Headmaster had sought to give her. She still had not reached out to Professor Goodwitch, hoping to come to the table with some idea of what she could do, but hiding could not remain an option for long.

The door clicked behind her, snapping her from her introspection. Violette was watching her, studying her.

"Going somewhere?" Her voice was calm, almost distant, but those damnable Arc eyes were back.

Pyrrha gulped slightly. "My gift for Jaune is in, I received the message this morning; I was heading to pick it up, since he's out." Violette hummed an agreement.

"Walk with me?" Pyrrha couldn't decide if this was an olive branch or the first move of an ambush, but she nodded in agreement. Violette stepped down to the drive, and she fell in beside the older woman.

Violette did not make conversation, and aside from sharing her destination, the two strolled to town in silence. Pyrrha herself wasn't sure what the right thing to say was, so she wallowed in the empty air.

They stopped at a blacksmith's shop, of all places. The two stepped in, bell affixed to the door announcing their entrance. A mountain of a man with a great, black beard stood behind the counter.

"Good morning, how can I help you?" His smoke-scratched voice seemed comically high to Pyrrha, but she restrained herself.

"I've an order to pick up: under Arc?" The man nodded before heading back. Violette and Pyrrha waited patiently as they heard the man rummage, yet again not holding any conversation. The smith returned with something Pyrrha certainly hadn't expected: a large breastplate, as well as a pair of gauntlets. The white of the armor gleamed, bright bronze trimming the edges.

The smith boxed the armor quietly, pushing it across to Violette. "I'm more than pleased with how it turned out, let me know if it needs any repairs down the line." She nodded, and accepted the box, bending beneath the weight.

"If you'd like…" Pyrrha offered, but Violette shook her head. She did get the door for the older woman, of course.

"Where do you need to go?"

"A shop just past Muse."

"Lead on, then." Pyrrha wasn't sure what the point was, but Violette clearly wanted something from this. She headed down the street, the box clinking behind her.

Violette halted mid-stride when she saw Pyrrha turn to the store. "You can't be serious." Pyrrha smiled a bit, but walked in regardless, again holding the door. Violette stepped in behind her.

The young woman, April if she recalled, manning the counter waved cheerily to Pyrrha. "Ooh, well you're a prompt young lady, I like that! I've got it right here, miss Pyrrha!" She laid Pyrrha's purchase on the counter, and all three women admired it. "I think the detail work came out perfectly, what do you think?"

"It looks grand, thank you for all the work?" She rang Pyrrha up for her purchase, not mentioning the price with Violette behind them.

"If you need anything else, though, you know where to find us." April closed the lid, and Pyrrha took it up.

"Thank you again for your work, April, please have a wonderful day."

"Have a good day, and let me know how Jaune likes it!" As she waved a final goodbye, Pyrrha could feel Violette watching her.

"He means a great deal to you, doesn't he?" There was no anger, nor clinical examination, only true curiosity.

"He does. To me, and to all of us."

"But a great deal to you." She nodded, not wanting to truly say the words.

Violette watched her for a few moments, considering. "I am sorry, Pyrrha. I let my own anger blind me, and I've treated the three of you unfairly because of it." Pyrrha certainly hadn't expected _that._

"Huh?" The woman smirked at her.

"Not always so poised, I see."

"But, why change now?" She would have assumed Verte's announced intentions would drive Violette further away, if anything!

"Because of that," Violette gestured to Pyrrha's gift, "and this." She rattled her box. "This is my peace with Jaune, my accepting his life, my telling him I know he has changed. My little brother would not need armor were he still his old self. If I am to truly mean that acceptance though, I need to accept JNPR.

"But your gift? What I see is that you don't just know Jaune, you understand him. He isn't just a huntsman to you, a warrior, he's as much the boy we knew as the man you know. The others will see that too, even if it won't be consciously. I had to come to terms with his changes, Pyrrha. You did not have to: it is simply him to you. I'm sorry."

Pyrrha was struggling to come to terms with the small revelation, but managed to mumble a weak "It's no problem." Violette laughed lightly at her expense.

"Now, let's get these back before my errant little brother does: we'll stash them in my room." She turned back to head for the Arc home. "Oh, and Pyrrha?"

"Yes, Violette?"

The woman smiled at her, for the first time. "Please call me 'Vi', that's how my family addresses me."

Pyrrha was a little glad Vi led the way, she wouldn't see her beaming smile.

* * *

Jaune had spent way too much time debating _"_ The first three reasons" he'd think of. _"I hate riddles!_

" _Ok, options are: the girls are planning a birthday thing, the girls are planning a prank, and the girls are planning something related to Pyrrha. Has to be one of those three, right? But what if it has to do with JNPR? No, that was thought four, Jaune, Ren said three. But would he be_ that _exact?_

" _Of course he would, it's Ren! Okay, those three are pretty scary. If It's birthday, I got another week before something happens, and I wouldn't want to spoil it anyway. I've spent the last two weeks on eggshells in case of prank, and I can't really do more. If it's Pyrrha…_

That was a realm of possibility he had avoided debated the longest. _"Could they be trying to set us up? The girls did ditch us at Muse, but would Nora be part of that? Does Nora think of Pyrrha and I like that? There was the training session, and she bought me some time during the Festival, but I screwed those up, didn't I?_

" _They could be just trying to mess with both of us, and I_ _ **know**_ _the five of them would be about that. So, more eggshells then? That's not a solution, Jaune! I could confront them? No, Nora looked way too cagey for that._

" _You know what? I'll wing it: that works out, right?"_ Pyrrha was his partner because of it, he got into Beacon, he led JNPR, he'd been at the Breach. Trusting his gut had paid off a lot! Also, way less stressful than what he'd been doing.

Thinking of stress, Jaune fiddled with the letter he'd gotten at the post office. He'd checked with the desk, since he was up there, in case anything for JNPR had arrived.

'Pyrrha Nikos: Vale, Bar Village. Arc Household? – Thetis Nikos, Mistral, Mistral.' Pyr's mother had written.

It wasn't that he expected something _bad_ , Pyr got along great with her Mom. Mostly. He was just… worried, and he couldn't really say why. Jaune walked inside, stood by the stairs, and called out: "Pyr? You in?"

From upstairs, he heard her reply: "One moment, Jaune!" Pyrrha drifted down the stairs soon enough, with a dazzling smile. He felt himself smile in response, but held up the letter to her.

"You got mail, partner." She quizzically accepted the envelope, read the cover, and gasped in excitement. She hooked an arm under his and pulled both of them outside. Pyr slipped her finger under the lip, then froze. "Pyr?"

"I just… let's go get some coffee, I'm not sure I'm ready yet." She sounded more than a little conflicted, but he understood worrying about family _plenty_. He messaged Rouge, so someone would know where they were, and they headed back towards town.

Pyr watched the letter in her hand intently for a long while, but eventually she slid it into a jacket pocket and turned to Jaune.

"As of this morning, Team JNPR has Vi's approval." She announced, putting her brightest smile on.

Jaune let out a giddy, relieved laugh. "Really? That's great! Man, I was worried she was never going to come over, how'd you do it?"

Her smile turned coy, maybe a little devious, and Jaune felt his heart pick up. "Why Jaune, you can't ask a girl to tell you _all_ her secrets. It's not gentlemanly." She lifted her head up: "You know, I can be quite persuasive."

"Hehe, I believe that." He bumped into her playfully, and she knocked back, laughing a bit in turn. They chatted about how Pyr was liking Bar, as well as their training regimen, until they reached The Redeye; he unhooked his arm from hers and held the door open. He got them both coffee, as well as a muffin for himself, while Pyrrha grabbed a table in the back. He set her drink before her, dropping into the opposite chair.

"As a heads up, I think my sisters are up to something." Pyrrha hesitated a moment, watching him over the lid of her drink. "No idea what, but I think it involves you: Nora's helping them, too."

"I'll… keep my eyes open?"

"Probably for the best." He took up his own coffee, and began to unwrap his food.

The letter sat unopened on the tabletop for several minutes, Pyrrha too busy snatching parts of _his_ muffin to read it. Once their baked distraction was eliminated, Jaune coughed a bit, and nodded to the letter.

"I suppose I have to open it eventually, don't I?"

"Pyr, don't sweat it, it'll be fine." She nodded, and took up the note, cracking the seal easily. She scanned it for a moment, jumping between frowns and smiles, then began again out loud.

"Pyrrha,

"I am unbelievably relieved to have received your letter. Your friend, Sun, passed it on to me three days after the Attack, and those were the worst three days of my life! I can't express how worried I was when I saw what happened at Beacon, and my heart go out to all of your friends and classmates who faced that. When you get this, please write back so I know where to reach you. I'll include an address, and an explanation.

"There have been some difficulties in Mistral, dear. Your fight caused… a great deal of trouble. Your being out of reach in Vale was likely for the best, as the legal and public troubles were no small thing, but they have greatly been resolved, thankfully. The Mistrali government has decided that Atlesian tampering in the Vytal Festival Tournament is to blame for what happened in your fight specifically. Miss Polendina -" Pyr's voice cracked, and she lowered the letter. Jaune took hold of her hand, and she resumed with some effort.

" - was not a person, according to them. Were she, then what happened would have been impossible. You are not at fault for any wrongdoing. Public opinion has been more varied, I'm afraid; some terrible things have been said and written, but we've been combating that.

"I'm sure you don't want me to spend the whole letter on terrible things such as this, though. I am well, and will be in Vale! The call has gone throughout the kingdoms for all Hunters to take up Vale's cause. I may not be able to fight as I once could, dear, but I still hope to aid in some capacity. I understand if you cannot, but I hope you could find the time to come see me in Vale, dear. Of course, I would love to see your teammates again; please, send my regards to all three of them.

"I love you dear, never stop striving, never stop believing. Mom"

They sat together, drinking their coffee and considering the letter.

"I had no idea my…fight was causing such an issue, we've heard nothing here?" She looked questioningly to him.

"Past the depot, it's a quiet town. If we do go to Vale or reach out to Goodwitch, we can get details." She nodded in vague understanding.

Pyrrha was clearly struggling with the letter, on a knife's edge: she was back in the ring with Penny, or she was thinking on their meeting with Ozpin, or considering what her mother had been through in Mistral. He couldn't know what for sure, but whatever it was, it was tearing her up.

"We", he squeezed her hand for emphasis, "can handle anything that comes next. Your team has your back, Pyrrha; I have your back. No matter what, Pyr, you have me." She took a strengthening breath, sat up in her chair, smiled weakly at him.

"Thank you, Jaune, it means a lot." He nodded back in agreement.

They had known it before, but there was no escaping it now: they had to go back to Vale, and soon. But Jaune wasn't about to let his partner be swallowed up by fear and doubt, so he couldn't let himself either. As Pyrrha stowed away the lette, he did the same with his worries, focusing on the here and now.

They went back to drinking their coffee, and tried not to think about what waited for them past their safe haven.

* * *

 **Post:** I'll see y'all next week.


	15. A Brief Eternity

**A/N:** Aaand, we're back! Sorry about the mild delay, life caught up to me. Thankfully, this chapter is a bit longer than the others, so I hope that make sup for it! So far, a feature of the story has been shifts in PoV between the line breaks. This is going to continue, but I want to let you know, a stand-alone ellipses (...), signifies a time skip without changing PoV. Oh, shout out to Ikedawg43, whose "Wash it Away (But It Comes Back Stronger) is another one of my favorite Post-V3 stories.

Enough of all this though: thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter fifteen!

* * *

Jaune was awakened as a sudden weight crushed down onto his chest. His brother senses had failed him astoundingly, sleep vanishing.

"Ooof!" he wheezed.

"Morning, Jaune," Verte said from atop his stomach.

"Morning, Verte?" He could have thrown her off, but chose not to.

"Happy birthday!" She threw her arms around his head and squeezed. He wriggled an arm between his throat and her choking hug, managing to take a breath.

"Thanks, Verte." His sister released her death grip and hopped off his bed. He sat up and stretched his arms, then spotted his other sisters & his team gathered around the doorway. Ren was smirking beside the open door; the traitor had let them in! Damn his ninja skills!

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAUNE!" Most of them cheered quietly, recognizing he was just waking up, but Nora and Verte had no such restraint. Verte rushed to his armor rack, and chucked Crocea Mors at him.

"Get dressed, Jaune, we've gotta go!" She eagerly bounced from foot to foot. He was utterly lost. "You're teaching me how to _fight!"_

That was how Jaune found himself standing in the training circle, wearing his armor while Verte faced him down with Crocea Mors. She drew the sword, nearly dropped it, and extended the shield. Her arms sagged under the weight.

"Nope! We start with the basics, Verte." She frowned at him.

"Yeah, won't I need the sword for that?"

"Nope! Basics is footwork!" She stared at him flatly. Taking a page from his partner's book, he strolled up to her and lightly shoved, sending his little sister sprawling to the ground. She let out an indignant squawk, but he went on. "We're going to work on your footing, until I actually have to try when I push you."

"Ya know, I figured we'd jump straight to slashing and stabbing…" Verte sounded a little disappointed.

"If you really want to learn to fight, this is where you start." Jaune didn't want to doubt his sister, but getting a feel for her commitment _was_ important. With a sigh, she sheathed the sword.

"How should I stand?"

…

Verte was bent double, hands on her knees as she breathed hard, while Jaune was just beginning to work up a sweat. "Right! That's a good first lesson." He smiled a brotherly smile at her astonishment.

"But you guys are out here for, like, twice as long!" she protested. Her hair, out of its normal braid, was plastered to her neck and face, clothes soaked in sweat.

"Do _you_ feel like you can go another two hours?" He smiled as Verte paled a little. " _So, this is what Pyr felt like training me? I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing."_ He was incredibly proud of Verte's determination, but a little frustrated at having to explain what seemed almost natural to him. Everyone has to learn something for the first time, some time, and he was just as bad once.

With not a small amount of help, Verte and he headed back to the house. His little sister promptly collapsed on a couch next to Rose, while he headed over to the shelves. Nora swung her gaze between them, grinning her devious smile. "Soooo, how was practice?"

"Grble" Verte retorted.

"Sounds like a good one! Jaune, can I set her workout program?" Jaune only felt a tad guilty at the all-too eager look on her face.

"Of course, Nora! You know best for that sort of thing!" A good leader delegates!

"Hate you so much right now, Jaune. Happy birthday." Rose looked as if she would bite her own lip off, trying to not laugh as she did up Verte's braid.

…

Noire, Vi, and Ren cordoned off the kitchen for preparations, and from the sounds of it, they were all going down to Orleans Park for lunch. The girls were complaining that the river would be too cold for a swim, but clear skies and a nice view were just fine by him.

Once the cooks' permission was gained, the party took to the streets. Rouge and Marron whined about teachers named Arc, Noire and Vi grumbled about students named Arc, and Nora lamented the fact Ren wouldn't let her help with the food.

He would never admit it to Nora, but Jaune was immensely relieved she wasn't: he liked being able to keep his meals down.

It took a little hiking, but the group found a space large enough for them where they wouldn't disturb others. Blankets were spread, bags were emptied, and the spread was assembled! Jaune kicked back with his sandwich, admiring the season in swing. The trees were still carrying plenty of green, but the maples and birches were on their way to turning: a few pines stood their ground, of course. And junipers.

 _Giggle, giggle._

His mom, Noire, Vi, and Ren were talking about something, but he couldn't hear over Verte and Rose's mad scrabble up the tree behind him. Marron, Rouge, and Pyr were laid out in the sun, jackets pillowing their heads as they enjoyed the brief, mild warmth of the afternoon.

He watched Pyr lounge for a while. T _oo long_ of a while, as Nora plopped down next to him.

"Sooo, how are ya, Jaune? Enjoying the park?" Her wide grin was either knowing or just Nora-manic; he could never tell.

"Well, it is a nice day out, and lunch was really good. And later, I get to take you guys to my favorite place to get a bite!" He offered an innocent grin. She offered the same back.

"I'm dying! But, it kinda stinks it was too cold to go swimming, right?"

"Eh, it's fine. Still nice out, right?"

Nora nodded slowly, still grinning like a loon. "Yup, great _view_ out here…"

"Yeah? I always loved visiting the park, and I like being able to bring you guys along." _"Deflect, deflect!"_

Nora, apparently, took the bait. "It actually is pretty nice out here, Bar.

"This's been fun. I mean, we came out here because of some terrible stuff, but actually being here has been nice. Bar's pretty cool, your sisters are friendly, and JNPR still gets to be together!" Nora flopped onto the ground, taking a bite from her sandwich.

Jaune noticed his sandwich was gone.

"Thanks, Jaune. I know I can be a pain sometimes, but you never complain. Makes me feel at home."

Jaune just shrugged: "Well, what are friends for, Nora? I mean, you're practically family." She stared at his sisters pointedly.

"I don't think you need more sisters, Jaune."

"I don't, but I wouldn't mind getting another one." Nora fired back up, staring him down with an even bigger Nroa smile.

"Ooh, only _one_? There a reason you only want _one more_ , Jaune?"

" _Damage control!"_ "Hey, I think Ren needs your help with the drinks, Nora!"

Nora was off in a flash. Jaune made sure to promise Ren, mentally, to pay him back for throwing him under the bus.

…

Green's Diner was a second home to Jaune.

Well, since going to Beacon, he guessed it was more of a third home now, but still home! The narrow building was set in the heart of Bar. the restaurant receding farther from the street than Mr. Green's hairline. The smells of fried food and burgers wafted out, welcoming him back.

"I love this place." He declared simply to his friends and family.

"We know, Jaune, trust us." Marron griped. Heretic that she was, she had never appreciated Green's.

They bustled through the doors, and a girl Jaune vaguely recognized from school led them to a booth in the rear of the diner. The eclectic decorations ranged from signed jerseys to Hunter's photos to old copies of aircraft nose art. He knew it all by heart, but JNPR were overwhelmed by the sheer number of things hanging from the walls. Marron called it tacky, he called it _awesome_.

He was halfway slid into his booth when he realized it was already occupied: Blanche popped up from her crouch, dragging him off balance and into a crushing hug.

"Happy birthday, little bro!"

Naturally, he hugged her back as hard as he could.

"Blanche! They said you couldn't make it!" He looked back to see Pyrrha was recording them, smiling triumphantly. "How are you?"

The rest of the party piled in, just barely fitting at the table. Blanche let go of him and moved to make room for Noire.

"Well, I'd be doing better if you didn't always want to get a heart attack on a bun for your birthday! I'm doing alright, Jaune. Military's been mostly quarantine duty for the month: Hunters go into the danger zones."

They all harassed Blanche for details on Vale, and Blanche was nonstop on how they'd been in Bar, but their waitress' arrival called a halt to the festivities. Jaune couldn't help but shake the feeling _he knew this girl_ : Gris was her name. He ordered the double chili burger, as per tradition, and patiently waited for the rest to finish. Ren was still trying to be healthy, and ordered a grilled chicken sandwich. He was grateful to see Pyrrha partake properly with chicken and waffles, and Nora with a garbage plate. She'd probably order a second one, too.

"Okay, where do I know Gris from? School? It's killing me." Rouge stared at him dumbfounded, while Marron started to laugh.

"Jaune, you asked her out junior year."

"I did?" He'd been shot down more than a few times back in school. Blanche swiped at the top of his head, missing as ducked beneath it.

"Well, let no one say Jaune Arc can be defeated by rejection," his elder sister declared.

Nora sniggered at that: "Weiss would agree with that!" Blanche broke from her attempt at a noogie, locking onto Nora.

"Who. Is Weiss?" Jaune's head slammed into the table as Nora began to recount the Weiss saga, _again_. Pyrrha patted his head consolingly while Blanche chuckled and laughed at her poor brother's expense.

"Jaune, you need to learn your lessons one day…" Blanche offered as she bit back more laughs.

"Hey, this isn't entirely on me! Dad said all you need is confidence!" His sisters looked to their mother.

She blinked owlishly at them. "Well, confidence is important. Your father first asked me out covered head to toe in mud and missing a boot." Huh, he never knew that before.

"Confidence and persistence aren't the same thing though, honey."

"As much as I appreciate almost all the women in my life waiting until _after_ I crash and burn to give advice on girls, I've already figured out I need to change my methods. And last I checked, I wasn't the only single Arc child." He made his conversational escape as Blanche, Noire, Vi, Rouge, and Marron all turned on each other.

He'd learned a long time ago that sisterly infighting was his ticket out of a bad situation. Noire and Blanche were debating that guy and this date, while Marron had scooted closer to Rose, as if to hide behind her youth.

"Just because big brother is terrible with girls doesn't mean I am too!" Rogue declared, shaking her hands at Vi.

"Well, I suppose that explains why you never bring _boys_ home." She quipped easily. Rogue turned beet red amid frantic denials. She was saved by the arrival of several trays of food, of course. His burger was delivered with its small mountain of fries and a shake, and he could see Mr. Green coming over from the kitchen to speak with the Arc clan. Jaune let out a contented sigh.

"I love this place."

…

They'd gone to dinner early, but stayed late. Blanche still had a million and one questions about how the team had been doing in Bar, and the team had an equal number for how Beacon and Vale were doing. The chaos of a large family made straightforward conversation all but impossible. Still, they all happily gave it their best shot. All of his sisters, Blanche aside, had finals coming up, but Jaune wondered if Verte and Rose would be attending a normal school next year. Verte hadn't said anything overt to him, but training with the sword and getting a workout regimen spoke louder than words.

If he had paved the way for his little sisters to follow their own hearts, then he'd accomplished at least that. They wouldn't have to cheat their way in. Jaune shook himself from the dire thought, and refocused as Blanche and Noire sat him down in the living room, while the other rushed off.

Vi returned with a wrapped box, Nora a tall bag, his baby sisters with their own mystery package, and Ren & his mother with a cake.

Ren was a great cook, and his skills in that field were one of the few things he was prideful, even arrogant about. Given that Ren had apparently whipped up a three-tier cake large enough for a dozen people together in today's _spare time_ , he once again felt no need to burst Ren's bubble.

They set the massive blue & green thing down on the coffee table, along with plates, and handed him a knife. Ren took a moment to revel in everyone's praise, then nodded for Jaune to cut the cake; the crowd proclaimed Ren's greatness again when it was revealed he'd dyed the cake's layers to colors of his sisters.

"Ren, I really have no idea you pull this stuff off."

His brother's small smile would be equal to someone else bouncing in glee. "Oh, I have my ways, especially when it comes to family. Happy birthday, Jaune!"

Rose powered through her slice, then dropped her box on his lap dramatically. "This one's from the four of us, Jaune." He finished swallowing his bite, set his own slice aside with not a little regret, and turned his attention to the gift.

The box was absolutely _packed_ with comic books. Flipping through the first few, Jaune realized he'd had a few of these at Beacon.

"They're replacements", Rose offered by way of explanation. "Rouge knew which one you took to Beacon, so we got as many of the ones you lost as we could. We couldn't get _all_ of them, but we tried." He'd had a few expensive comics with him. He'd been collecting and receiving them for years, but this was still _a lot_. He couldn't imagine the amount of sitting or odd-jobs it would have taken them to pay for all of these.

"Thanks, girls; I'll take better care of them, this time."

" _And_ , take better care of yourself." Vi announced imperiously, clunking her box next to him. "From the twins and I." He switched the boxes over, idly noting the weight before reaching inside.

It was armor. White, like his current piece, but much larger and with some bronze trim, and a serious set of metal gauntlets, too. Huntsman gear, from his older sisters.

"It looks great…"

Blanche snorted. "Just make sure you use it! Stay safe out there, little brother." He nodded, hoping they didn't see him tear up a bit.

"Me next, me next!" Nora bounded forward, setting down a small stack of plates and dropping her bag at his feet.

Jaune couldn't help but notice the cake was missing several more pieces than he remembered.

"This one's all me, Jaune, and I know you'll love it!" Her infectious grin spread over to him, sure enough. He scooted the armor aside, fishing the bag onto his lap. Reaching in, he felt glass? He lifted out the present.

South Menagerie Gin.

Jaune shoved the bottle back into the bag, but it was too late.

"Since you're 18 now, Jaune, I figured we could make it official with some good spirits!" He put on a weak smile, praying his mother and Noire didn't read too much into the gift choice.

"Thanks, Nora, we'll give it a try later?" She frowned a bit at his phrasing.

"Wait, Yang said you-" Ren's hand slapped against Nora's mouth, pulling her away.

"I'm sure we can trust Yang's _suggestions_ , Nora, but why don't we finish off some of the cake first?" Ren and Jaune's eyes met, and Jaune silently passed along his thanks and an 'I owe you'.

" _Come on, Yang, you were supposed to keep quiet about the club trip!"_ Noire would skin him alive if she knew he'd had this stuff before.

Yang was right though: he did like the brand.

To help sell Ren's distraction, Jaune dutifully moved to cut and distribute more slices, letting his adoptive brother's recreation of heaven distract the audience.

* * *

Jaune had stepped out of the living room some time ago, and she surmised he was trying to get a little quiet amidst all the bustle. Eventually, Pyrrha found her partner seated on the back porch; she set down her gift softly before making her way over to him, sitting on the step beside him. He looked over to her as she sat, and smiled.

"Hey, Pyrrha."

"Hello again," she offered with a warm smile. "Have you been having a good birthday, then? I've been looking forward to it for some time now."

"You've just been looking forward to an excuse to eat cake, I'm onto you."

She pouted, crossing her arms: "Drat, my master plan revealed! How could you have possibly known?"

Jaune assumed a smug look, sticking his nose into the air. "My first hint was when you stopped at the Redeye for pastries four times last week. Underneath all that ridiculous amount of training is a sweet tooth to rival Nora, and we all know it." They stared each other down for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"No, it's been great, probably the best I've had in a while." Jaune's face was a little flushed from the laughing. He looked away from her though, set his eyes on the field. "I was worried. Really worried. I didn't know how they'd take it. Everything that's happened.

"I was worried my team and my family would hate each other." He looked back at her then, "Thank you, Pyr. Having all of you together is about as good a gift as I could ask for."

She put on her most winning smile, reaching back for her present. "Really, maybe I should go return this then? I don't want to have a bad second act."

Jaune actually spotted it then and smiled at her. "I'm sure you thought of something great, Pyr. Is this from the team?" She handed it to him, smiling.

"No, just from me. Go ahead!"

With the same enthusiasm Jaune gave everything, he tore at the wrapping, eventually revealing what it hid.

A guitar case.

Jaune looked back at her in surprise, and she nodded him on. Delicately, he flicked open the locks and pushed up the lid.

Wonder of wonders, a guitar was in the guitar case. She was not very experienced in instruments by her own admission, but she'd been very thorough in ensuring it was a fine instrument. The dark wood had an almost red hue, though in the evening light it was nearly black, but the Arc crest was inlaid with pride on the guitar's head. He removed it from the case reverently, holding it against his chest.

"I know you miss your old guitar, and I saw a music store in Bar some time ago. You wouldn't be you if you didn't have your music."

"Pyrrha…" Jaune looked as if he were going to cry, and Pyrrha welled up a bit herself. Slowly, gently, he lowered it to his lap before turning to her. "Thank you, Pyr, I love it. I- I don't know what else to say." She felt a lump in her throat, her heart pounding in her chest.

"You could play a song for me."

Jaune looked at her for a moment, then back down at the guitar, nervous. He'd played in the dorm often enough, but that was _at_ them, around them: not for them. He had only played for someone once at Beacon. She thought she saw Jaune's eyes widen a bit, but he reached down to take up the instrument before she could be sure. "Alright, just give me a minute." She just nodded, unable to speak.

He checked the tune for a moment, making mysterious adjustments, then just held onto her gift; he was probably looking for a song he could play. He grinned for a moment, then twisted to face the field while looking down towards her feet. "I think I have the right one."

Pyrrha couldn't really construct a sentence at the moment, so she just nodded for him to go on. Jaune coughed a bit, settled himself and the guitar into place.

He strummed it lightly, and they both winced as he hit a very bad note. "Sorry, I'm a little rusty."

He reset, eyes focused on his fingers and the strings. He began again, and started to softly accompany is playing.

" _Hush your cries, close your eyes. Stay with me,_

" _Let's just dream, quietly, of what… might… be._ "

His singing voice was a little rough, no doubt as rusty as his playing supposedly was. She didn't care, it was wonderful.

" _Calm your fear, I'll be near, to you I'll cling,_

" _Rest my friend, time can mend… many… things._

" _I don't know the answers, tomorrow's still unknown. But I can make this promise, you won't be alone._ "

She could feel herself move closer, inch by inch.

" _There's a quiet place, in my embrace, a haven of safety where,_

" _I'll dry your tears, shelter here, in… my… care._

" _But even when we stumble, and someday when we fall. What I will remember, that I had you through it all._ "

He was turning towards her, playing to her, not into the air as before. He was watching his hands, trying to make the song flow.

" _I don't know where we should go, just feeling farther from our goal._

" _I don't know what path we will be shown… but I know that when I'm with you I'm at home._

" _Yes, I know that when I'm with you I'm at home,_

" _Yes, I know that when I'm with you I'm at home…"_

The song ended slowly, sweetly, and Jaune raised his head to face her. They were inches apart. He carefully removed the guitar from his lap, setting it back in the case delicately. His movements were deliberately slow, as if he might scare her off. He never looked away. "So… what did you think?" The question was barely above a whisper, desperate to not break the trance.

"I think it was wonderful.

"I'd like it if you played for me again later…"

"…I'd like that, too." She could feel his breath on her, neither one of them moving a muscle away. Agonizingly slow, Jaune leaned towards her.

The last time, it had been full of passion, almost forceful. She'd been lucky to have not rammed her face into his nose with her ferocity. This kiss was light, a little hesitant. It lasted for an eternity, and was still too short. When Jaune leaned back, his eyes locked onto hers. She found her voice after a moment.

"I'd love it if you did that again, Jaune."

He smiled as he leaned in again: "I'd love it, too."

The world could end right now, and she wouldn't care.

* * *

After a couple of blissful infinities passed, Jaune remembered everyone else might get curious and come looking, or maybe not. Nora _could_ be running interference for them, after all. Still, it wouldn't do to be gone for very long. They unwound themselves, Jaune took up his perfect new guitar, and they headed for the door. As he held it for Pyrrha, she stopped. "Should we tell them?"

At first, he was a little taken aback by the question, but then he actually started to think about it. "Maybe we should be quiet for a while? Nora, at least, is gonna freak out, and I don't think my sisters would be calm either." She giggled a bit at the thought.

"Just a day or two, then? For us." She walked by with a wink, and Jaune almost forgot to follow her inside.

* * *

 **Post:** Thanks for coming along on the ride, guys. I'll see y'all next week


	16. It Tolls for Thee

**A/N:** Aaaand we're back! Welcome back, folks, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter in all its cheesy goodness. Sadly, the chapters will return to the slightly shorter length of the rest of the fic; that last one was an exception to the rule. I'd like to make brief mention of AStereotypicalGamer's "The Sun and The Night", a Yang x Jaune/Jaune x Raven fic they've been working on this past month; don't worry, that ship isn't nearly as convoluted or weird as you might otherwise expect.

Well, thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter sixteen!

* * *

Pyrrha had decided being part of a conspiracy could actually be quite nice, if it had an innocuous nature. Her circle of friends kept the secret of Jaune's forged transcripts: they understood his attendance at Beacon depended on it. That same circle worked to hide the knowledge of both Blake's Faunus nature, a minor secret, and her past in the White Fang, the major. Were the latter revealed, Blake could have faced serious consequences, even imprisonment. Beyond the protective ring of RWBY and JNPR, Pyrrha had also found herself privy to the knowledge of the Maidens, and Ozpin's cabal, whose secrecy was a fulcrum of the safety _of the world_.

That she and Jaune had been dating for two days was the prize of their conspiracy of two, and all they risked was inopportune reactions from friends and family. Rather than the anxious worry of her small confidences, or the gnawing terror of the greater cabal, this little secret made her feel giddy.

When the two of them "snuck off", it took all her years of PR training and experience to not start giggling like a madwoman. At the moment, the two of them were "out on a run", catching their breath in Orleans Park.

To her and his disappointment, Pyrrha pulled back from Jaune to actually catch her breath. With the state they were in, no one back home was going to question their alibi of a long run, that was for certain.

"Jaune, have you thought of how we're going to tell them?" His eloquent response was to try and recapture her lips, but a hand on his chest let him know they were, regrettably, done for now. Jaune's pout was adorable, though he would object to it being _called_ a pout, but there was a reason for this meeting beyond alone time.

"I've got an idea. Not the best idea, but it's something…" A wicked grin spread across his face, and she mimicked it.

"Would you mind telling me, Jaune?"

"Trust me, Pyr; it'll be more fun this way."

…

The Arc sisters were all in school, while Claire had gone out to meet with friends, leaving JNPR the sole occupants of the Arc house. Pyrrha was lounging on the couch, yet again returned to her comics, Ren and Nora watched the television from the opposing chairs, while Jaune was fetching the team some lunch.

"Alright, here we go!" Her partner announced, bustling in with a small platter of snacks and leftovers. He planted the dish on the table nearest Nora, who gleefully moved to snatch up some lunch. Jaune, meanwhile, moved to inspect Pyrrha's comic.

"Whatcha got?"

"Last issue of Maedre, now shush." She scooted down the couch a bit, in case Jaune wanted to take a seat. Maedre had just managed to defeat the Ashen Blade, and was about to enter the Poet King's throne room! She continued on, entranced, for several more pages, until her partner spoke up from above her.

"Hey, Nora?"

"What's up, Jaune?"

Jaune bent over and kissed her on the cheek. Pyrrha rapidly evaluated the correct response, but Jaune's furtive wink and sly smile made up her mind.

"Jaune, let me finish the book first." She put as much exasperation into her voice as possible, as if Jaune interrupting her activities with kisses was a regular thing.

Come to think of it, it was starting to be just that.

She also determined the best physical response was to keep reading, or at least make the attempt. She made it two more pages before the dam burst.

"Well, it's about time." Ren's voice was stifled, and Pyrrha looked over her book to inspect her team. Ren was biting his knuckle, trying to restrain himself. But Nora? Nora was staring at them, slack-jawed and bug-eyed, arms hanging uselessly at her sides. Pyr forced down her own laughter, and instead sighed wearily.

"I suppose I can finish it later." She carefully marked her progress, then slid back up the couch to lay her head on Jaune's lap. "Jaune, kiss me." The command was given in the same tone she might ask someone to do the laundry.

"Yes, dear." Jaune replied in a well-worn voice. As he leaned back over though, they received their desired effect.

"WHAT ON REMNANT IS HAPPENING?!" Nora howled, gripping her head with both hands. Pyrrha looked back to her adoptive sister with a look of bewilderment.

"I'm kissing my boyfriend?" She then did so.

"Yeah, what's not to get, Nora?" How Jaune managed to muster that much confused innocence, she had no idea.

"WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!" Their ginger teammate spluttered.

"Just now?" She kissed Jaune again. "And now." Nora launched herself towards the couch, latching onto Pyrrha's shoulder and waist before hauling her to her feet.

"PYRRHA NIKOS, YOU ARE GOING TO EXPLAIN THIS INSTANT!"

Her composure finally broke, and Pyrrha erupted into laughter as Nora dragged her to the kitchen, shaking her about like a doll in her hands.

* * *

" _Just another day in the life of Team JNPR."_ Jaune thought fondly, watching Nora carry off his girlfriend for a private discussion. It felt good just to _think_ the word "Girlfriend", and Jaune's smile grew yet wider.

"It's good to see this has finally been resolved," Ren threw in with exceptional cheer. "May I ask how long?"

"Four days, during my birthday."

"Before or after Blanche had us sample Nora's gift? My opinion of both of you may never recover if it took alcohol to get you together." Jaune shuddered at the memory of Blanche sneaking the team off when Noire wasn't looking and putting their livers to use. Had his 18th been at Beacon, Yang probably would have done the same, but something felt _weird_ about his oldest sister doing it.

"Before, thank God. Pyr and I talked a little, one thing led to another, you know."

His brother nodded is approval and satisfaction. "I'm just glad you've both finally brought this out into the open; I worried Nora was going to take drastic actions to make you notice." Like colluding with his sisters, he suspected.

"I guess we've reduced the romantic tension in JNPR by about half, then…" Jaune was certain Pyr would make comments about glass houses, but he was riding the high of his relationship. Ren scowled briefly, then looked away.

"I'm not living in ignorance, Jaune, merely indecision."

"Ren, come on. You two have known each other for, what, twelve years? You do _everything_ together, you live together, you can have whole conversations without talking - or you could, if Nora were to stop talking. Nora cares about you, and you care about her; why not try?"

"It's complicated." Jaune threw his hands up in frustration.

"My girlfriend has _other people's memories in her head_ , 'it's complicated' doesn't begin to approach what she's got going on there."

"Jaune, please, leave it be." The pleading in Ren's voice stopped him dead.

"Leave it. I… I can't… do that to Nora, I can't be _that_ for her. Not yet, at least. One day, I will, and I think Nora understands that. Or would, if she knows, but it's not the right time. When it is, _she'll_ be the first to know." He closed his eyes, his face went blank, and his breaths slowed. "Jaune. I understand, and I love you for the effort, but… let Nora and I work this out on our own. We did the same for you."

"Okay, Ren. I'm sorry." Well, he'd put his foot in a bear trap, and it snapped. No real surprise, huh?

"It's alright, I'm sorry too.

"Well, wha-" Ren was cut off by the door to the kitchen slamming open, a red-faced Nora in the gap.

"A _song_ , Jaune?! You played a song for her? On your guitar? Didn't you learn?!" She sounded either incredibly frustrated or incredibly impressed, and Jaune wasn't sure which.

"She asked me to? A-and it worked!" _"The perfect counter, Jaune; can't argue with success, right?"_ A black glow suffused the door, slamming it shut on Nora.

"So-"

The door opened again, the platter of food sailed across the room, and the door shut once more.

"Alright, Pyrrha is just showing off now." Ren, who had been reaching for some crackers at the moment of the plate's umbral flight, was clearly displeased. Jaune could only shrug, scratching the back of his head.

"She's been getting really good lately, and it's going to her head." Ren gave him a flat look. "For Pyrrha." He corrected.

"But we think it'll be time to go back soon. Pyrrha's recall of Amber's memories are clearer now, plus she gets stronger every day. Blanche makes it sound like Vale is basically safe too, so it's probably time to see Goodwitch again."

Ren began to say something, then paused. "Was Pyrrha allowed to tell us all of this?" Jaune shrugged. "Rules aren't really something we're good at following, are we?" Jaune shrugged again.

"I don't want to go straight back, though. We need to do one more thing."

"Jaune, cut the dramatics, please."

"We need to go see Team RWBY."

They both turned at the sound of the front door opening, several sets of feet stampeding unseen towards the kitchen.

"It happened!?" Jaune heard Marron shout.

"It happened!" Nora eagerly responded. There was a chorus of inarticulate squeals.

The door to the kitchen erupted for the third time, though this was for mundane means, and Jaune was swarmed by his sisters, and Nora.

"Took you long enough!"

"What was the hold-up?"

"It was the lunch at Muse, wasn't it!?"

"Pyrrha, save me!"

* * *

Mrs. Arc, and Pyrrha was quite sure she was back to 'Mrs. Arc' with Claire, sat in judgement over JNPR in her small study, with Jaune holding the position of the prime condemned. This meeting had been called just after Claire had returned to the Arc household in the evening, but sadly not before Rose had told her mother Jaune finally had a girlfriend.

Pyrrha imagined she would find a new, carbon fiber deadbolt on their bedrooms tonight, locked from the outside. Security cameras. Could Mrs. Arc train Grimm to be guard dogs?

"Are you _sure_ you have to go?" She was trying to sound calm, but Pyrrha could hear the edge of worry in her voice. "Can't you just stay until they call you back? I distinctly remember you saying you told them to do that."

"We have to go back, Mom." Jaune's own voice was attempting calm, but she knew he was unnerved by the meeting. "Well, we really want to go see our friends in Patch, and we might as well stop by Vale while we're at it."

"If you were just visiting, I wouldn't mind, but that's not it, is it? You'll go to Vale, and you won't come back." She was absolutely certain. More than they were, frankly.

"I don't know what will happen in Vale," Pyrrha began cautiously, "but JNPR will be together for whatever comes. We'll watch out for each other. And, we'll make sure to come back to Bar when we can. I promise you that, Mrs. Arc." The older woman frowned a tad at her, but then faced Jaune.

"Will you promise me the same, son? You'll come home soon?"

"Of course! Of course, mom!" He frantically assured her. "Promise, on my honor!" Ren and Nora made similar assurances on either side of them.

"Well, I guess all that's left will be for you to tell the girls." Jaune's skin paled visibly, while everyone else tried their hardest to not laugh at his terror. "Do you know when you'll be leaving?" They shook their heads in the negative.

"Some time in the next few weeks, probably?" Jaune offered, while she picked up from there.

"We need to reach out to RWBY, find a flight and accommodations, and then reach out to the teachers in Vale. We could be ready by the end of tomorrow, it's hard to know until we reach them." The elder woman nodded along.

"Well, alright then. It's good to see you won't be making _this_ trip at the eleventh hour."

"I'll make sure he packs everything this time, Claire." Ren added, seeming to all the world a helpful friend, not a snarky teammate.

"Traitors, all of you." Jaune muttered as he made his way out of the interrogation. Pyrrha tried to follow him out, but Mrs. Arc had other ideas.

"Oh, Pyrrha, dear? Can you stay for a moment?" Jaune and she exchanged concerned looks, and his mother snorted at their hesitance. "Such faith from my son. I just want to talk, I promise." Jaune seemed to want to stay for the meeting, but she pushed him along, trusting Ren and Nora to keep Jaune from doing something stupid.

The door closed not at all ominously, and Pyrrha settled back into her chair, taking up Jaune's mantle of the condemned.

"So," her boyfriend's mother began simply, "I gather from Rose that congratulations are in order?" Ah, in all the commotion of her relationship, she'd almost forgotten she could blush horrendously.

"Well, it's just- Jaune and I- it was all very-" She held up hand, silencing Pyrrha's explanations and excuses with ease.

"Pyrrha, you're not in trouble."

" _Oh, thank God!"_ Her mind proclaimed.

"My son spent the better part of the last year not telling me anything about his personal life; I'd like to be a little more informed this time around. You've been a delightful guest, Pyrrha, and even before this, it was obvious that you and Jaune have been close. I think I told you once before, you were in my good books?"

She nodded along, still trying to ease her nerves. Mrs. Arc took a hold of her hands, then, drawing Pyrrha from her stupor.

"Dear, relax. All of my children adore you, and if you've managed to put up with my son this long, who am I to complain? Not that I would - that boy of mine needs a level head at hand." They both giggled a bit at that, and Pyrrha felt the weight shifting off with ease. Why had she ever worried about this talk?

"Thank you, Claire. Your whole family has been so kind to us, it's been wonderful."

The woman beamed. "No one can ever doubt Arc hospitality, Pyrrha. Remember that.

"I still won't have any funny business under this roof though." And back to blushing!

* * *

The Bar Airfield was as hectic as he remembered, and even in the calmer civilian zones, the Arc party crowded the space. On Jaune's last departure from home, his father had whisked him to his airship under the cover of morning, his mother keeping his sisters distracted until well after he was out of reach. Now, he was getting crushing hugs and teary goodbyes.

"You're going to call!" Rouge accused for the millionth time.

"I'll call, Rouge, I'll call!" Marron looked as if she were ready to make the same demands, but settled with nodding firmly behind her sister.

Rose and Ren quietly talked, a small distance from the others, while Nora made overly dramatic goodbyes to Verte. His sister had also drawn a small sketchpad, displaying its mysterious contents to an approving Nora, who shared conspiratorial smiles with her.

 _That_ certainly wasn't going to come back and bite him in the butt, he was sure.

Noire and Vi, meanwhile, had surrounded Pyrrha. Jaune's heart was simultaneously warmed by the sight of his elder sisters having fully taken Pyrrha under their protective wings, and cooled by the knowledge they were telling her the hundred and one ways to keep a handle on him. They meant well, but he was his own man, darn it! It was bad enough having four mothers growing up, he didn't need them recruiting his _girlfriend_ too.

He paused a moment to consider.

" _Yup, still fun to think 'girlfriend'."_

"And make sure you check in on Blanche and Dad when you get to Vale! And don't embarrass us! And make sure you call!" Apparently, mothering him wasn't restricted to older sisters now.

Loaded up and waiting for takeoff, Jaune and the Arcs made one final wave of goodbyes, and he settled down among his team. "I'll miss them, but it feels good to leave on a high note." Pyrrha gently squeezed his hand, while Nora made various cooing noises at the familial scenes.

The bullhead lurched as it climbed into the air, and Jaune felt his stomach lurch with it.

" _You gotta be kidding me…"_

* * *

 **Post:** I suppose this chapter can be thought of as the end of the Bar Arc, though that isn't to say I'm done entirely with either the location or the Arc family! Next chapter will feature something of an interlude chapter; a brief stop to take a look at another character before we return to Team JNPR. Thanks for stopping by, y'all!


	17. Interlude: Blake's Story

**A/N:** Hello everyone, and welcome back! As previously mentioned, this chapter will be a small break from our regularly scheduled Arkos+JNPR. In the course of writing this story, which has developed into something far more extensive than I originally thought, I've imagined several moments I can't properly depict as WPF currently is. First and foremost, I've restricted the point of view to either Jaune or Pyrrha: I don't regret this choice, but it does mean that certain moments can't be shown properly, or sometimes at all.

However, the end of the "Bar Arc", as I've thought of it, seems like a reasonable place to place a one-shot that runs parallel to the main story. Depending on its reception, an interlude like this may make another appearance again at the end of the new arc, but that's not quite set in stone. I've some more details on the story's guts to go into, but I can leave that for the post. Thank you for reading, and please enjoy the Interlude!

* * *

Her alarm softly sounded next to her, and Blake uncoiled her arm to silence it. She listened: no noise from the other bed. She slid from her own mattress and rummaged briefly for a change of clothes, closing the door silently behind herself.

Tai was in the hall, already heading for the stairs; they exchanged a brief nod, and she continued to the bathroom. She poured a cup of water and took a brief shower, just enough to clean the sleep from her mind, and she was once again in the hall. She could faintly hear Tai at work in the kitchen, but she had to make two stops before she joined him.

Ruby's door opened easily, and she made a slow approach to her team leader. The lights strung along the wall were off, the curtains drawn tight. The younger girl was awake, but curled underneath the covers of her bed: a bad sign. Blake sat down on the edge of the bed, resting a hand on the lumpy blanket. "Ruby?"

The girl stirred, but made no response. "Tai and I are starting breakfast, Ruby: want to join us down there?" There was a brief pause, but Ruby's voice eventually emerged from the covers.

"I want to stay in." It broke her heart to hear that voice so small, so worn. She rubbed lightly, rising from her spot. THose first few weeks, Blake had no idea what to do, how to help them. She'd flailed uselessly behind Tai, inexperienced in succor, but determined in providing it. She knew now what to do when RUby was having a bad day, though.

"Alright, Ruby. I'll have your Dad bring something up, alright? Maybe we'll do something later?" The mornings were always hardest for Ruby, and Tai was better at getting a response from her. Ruby didn't make any objections, so she made her way to the exit. Come the afternoon, her young leader may be better, and it would be good for her to try and be up and about. She closed the door, then rounded the hall to where she had been staying, once again entering their shared room.

Yang's room was too plain. Tai kept flowers in a few vases, but the plain walls and dark furniture never fit the girl Blake knew. Maybe she never felt real decoration was necessary, preferring the simple beauty of the cabin's wood? Unlike her sister, Yang had not yet awoken. Blake watered the plants, set the cup by the door, and made her way to her partner's side. Ember Celica sat on the bedside, dust slowly beginning to ring the gauntlet.

"Yang?" Her partner didn't stir. "Yang, it's time to get up." She shook the bed lightly, and the blonde girl rolled offer her side, blearily looking up at her. Blake _made_ herself watch Yang, watch her face. She would not flinch away. "Morning, partner." She greeted with quiet warmth.

"Morning." Yang replied, with less warmth than she'd like.

"We're starting breakfast. If you want, you can hit the shower and join us?" She waited an achingly long time, but Yang eventually gave her a brief nod. Relief flooded Blake, but she made sure not to show it: Yang didn't take well to "pity". She moved to the closet to collect some clothes, while Yang drew herself from bed. She turned to Yang with a small collection of clothes, ones she knew Yang preferred. "I can help out if, yo-", Yang interrupted her with a soft, steady voice.

"I can do this." She scooped the folded pile from Blake's hands, clumsily pinning them under her shortened arm. Blake hesitated a moment, but Yang's face was resolute. Not pained, merely determined. A good sign, she thought. She nodded, and held the door for her, hoping courtesy would be read as such.

Yang's face did not darken at the act, and Blake pointedly did not follow her friend to the bathroom, instead turning for the stairs. The line between pity and support was a narrow one with Yang, and Blake had measured it in its entirety, through trial and error.

"Blake?" She stopped immediately, turning to Yang. She was nervous, shuffling slightly in the hall, but the resolution had not faded. "After breakfast, would you come with me on a walk? I… I want you to meet someone." Blake recalled Yang's hints not too long ago, but she still feared this moment.

"Alright, Yang." Yang nodded, more to herself, and continued her march to the bathroom.

Tai was already at work in the kitchen. Four places were made up at the table, while a variety of ingredients were set along the counter. Coffee burbled quietly in the corner, while Tai stood by the stove, mixing a bowl of unknown ingredients. Blake noted the corner cabinet was open.

"Ruby isn't feeling well, she wants to stay in bed." She moved to collect the fourth set of plates, moving them to one edge of the counter for him. "Yang's in the shower right now."

The older man hummed softly, continuing to stir. "Mind cutting up some fruit for them? I'm working on pancakes right now. I'll take Ruby her food, don't worry." She had grabbed some bananas from the bowl, and strawberries from the fridge, and began to work diligently.

"Yang wants to head out afterwards. I think… I think we're going up." She heard Tai cease his mixing, but he resumed soon enough. "I don't know if it's a good thing or not."

"For her mood? It'll be terrible. For her health? She needs it. Ruby's always been more active about it, but that doesn't mean Yang hurts less. Just you two?" She hummed an affirmative. "Probably for the best: I'll keep an eye on Ruby."

They worked in silence then, preparing a meal for the four of them. Blake said nothing when Tai poured a splash from the stout bottle into his coffee before moving it to its home in the corner cabinet. That little addition had grown less frequent this month, and he hadn't been excessive, even in the darkest hours of his daughters' return.

She had been planning on confronting him about it, when she first noticed, until she heard Tai one morning. "Never again, I have to be strong for them. Never again." That quiet mantra had made an appearance more than once that first month. If he wanted to take off the edge occasionally, should she deny him that? Blake and Ruby were not the only people mourning in this house.

Tai and she learned how to work together in trial by fire. Caring for the needs of both distraught girls as well as trying to help them cope had not been easy; Tai had taken to the task as a father would, while Blake had to be instructed. She'd been a fighter all her life, helping others after the fight had never been her task. But once she came to Patch, she needed to know what to do when Yang was having a panic attack, or how to help Ruby get to sleep, and a hundred other little things. Many an evening saw she and Tai exhausted, in conference at the kitchen table to discuss the next day's plans.

When Yang joined them in the kitchen, meals had been laid out on the table and the cleaning was nearly done. Her hair was a state, and Blake resolved Yang had grown too frustrated with it. "Morning, Dad."

Tai pulled a seat for his daughter, letting her settle in before taking his own. "Morning, honey. How are you?" Yang offered a small smile, but said nothing, turning her attention to her meal. Tai and Blake had tried to prepare meals for Yang which would be easier with her… condition, but as soon as she noticed the pattern, Yang had demanded they stop. She couldn't eat hashes and fruit her whole life, she argued, she would have to relearn eventually.

The table mat covered more than a few knife marks and dents now, but Yang was now directing that aggression towards her breakfast. She attacked the meal, and Blake checked more than once to be sure her partner's eyes had not gone red. Tai ate quickly, keeping up a stream of pleasant talk, before dropping his plate in the sink and sliding Ruby's own meal from its place on the counter. "If you girls need me, I'll be with Ruby." He called over his shoulder.

Blake tried to take up Tai's flow of pleasant nothings, but small talk was never her skill, and eventually they lapsed into silence. Patch had taught her how many important things weren't her skill. She knew Yang wouldn't hold it against her, but she still felt as if she were letting down RWBY's legacy of cheery banter.

"Can you help me with my hair, before we go? I… I wasn't having a good time with it."

"Of course, Yang." Yang's hair was her pride, her baby as much as Crescent Rose was to Ruby. Having it be anything less than perfect would be a millstone around her neck. Blake finished her meal slowly, to make sure Yang wouldn't feel pressured, before taking both plates. They made their way upstairs, Yang went to wet her hair briefly, while Blake fetched a brush from their room.

When Yang first asked her to help with her hair, Blake was terrified. Even Ruby had but sparse permission to help with her sister's hair, it was something precious to Yang. Yang put her _life_ in others' hands before her hair. But Blake could not balk, not anymore, so she dutifully took up the task. She'd worried Yang would be one of those "one hundred brushes" types, with a byzantine list of requirements before her hair could be thought of as "done".

Instead, it was a binary state: finished, or not. Blake had since determined this much freedom merely left her in a different _kind_ of fear.

She worked diligently, stroking the mass of blonde locks, quietly apologizing when she hit harder resistance.

"We're heading a ways from the house, but it's not a hard walk. For us, at least."

"I'll make sure to skip out on heels, then." The quip drew a small smile from Yang.

"Love to see Weiss try and make the trek." She shook a bit at the thought.

"Well, she did complete Initiation in heels. She fights with a lot of ice dust, too."

"Can't imagine what the balance training was like."

Now it was Blake's turn to laugh. "Maybe we can get her to put Ruby through it, when we meet back up? She looked like a stiff breeze would knock her over at the Dance."

Yang let out a long breath: "Oh, where did I go wrong with that girl? I thought I raised her right?"

The hair care had to take a small break as the two of them lost control of their laughter. It felt good, hearing Yang laugh like that.

The hair progressed slowly, the damp blonde scraggles eventually transforming into the grand mane they were used to, but Yang had Blake split it into two tails, something she couldn't recall her ever doing. "It's a special occasion, don't sweat it."

The hike Yang led her on was not a challenging one, as her partner had indicated. They travelled down a footworn path, enjoying the morning. Blake had seen precious little of Patch; bound to her team and unable to truly wander, she had not realized how peaceful the hilly woods could be. The heat of the last days of summer had yet to arrive, so the cool wood was a relief: salt hung faintly in the air, even for her sensitive nose. Their winding path, closer to a deer trail then a walkway, took them higher and higher, finally breaking through the tree line.

The field before them ended in a cliff, the lip of a great bowl encompassing the island's interior. Yang hesitated at the start of the field, and Blake paused beside her as well. Blake could make out something by the edge, but she couldn't make it out at this distance. The sight of that drop unnerved her, though. It wouldn't be far enough, logically she knew that, but she couldn't stop herself from stepping closer to Yang. Her friend drew strength from the proximity, though, and began her slow walk.

Closing the distance, Blake finally recognized two carved stones - two markers – jutting from the grass. Yang approached the one with a carven rose, sitting down in front of it, feet grazing the lip. Blake wavered behind her, but Yang's gentle patting of the grass eventually brought her to heel.

"Hi, Mom." Yang's voice cracked on the latter word, and she swiped at her eyes. She tilted her head to the other stone, still fresh to its home: "Hi, Uncle Qrow.

"I know I haven't been out here in a while, but I wanted to talk to you, Mom.

"I'm a huntress now, or a student. On a team with Ruby: my partner, Blake, is here." Yang waved a hand back to her, but Blake couldn't bring herself to talk. She didn't think she was supposed to, either.

"I was really good, one of the best in my class; I think you'd have been proud of me. I could give anyone a run for their money, and we were really helping Vale, ya know? Felt like I was on top of the world.

"I got cocky. Got stupid." Yang started to reach for her missing arm, but Blake took hold of her hand, refusing to let Yang do that to herself. She felt her friend squeeze.

"Blake and Dad help, and they do so much," Yang looked back to her, tears in her eyes, before returning to her discussion with a rose, "but – but _I'm so scared_. I'm scared _all the time_. It feels like I'm drowning in it, like I'm trying to swim from the bottom of a pool of tar. I'm scared I'm going to wake up, and I'll be back at Beacon, with _him_ standing over me. I'm scared I won't wake up, that this _isn't_ some terrible nightmare." Blake moved closer, wrapping an arm around Yang, who leaned into the embrace.

"I'm so tired of being scared…", she sobbed. "What am I supposed to do?"

Blake didn't know. All she knew was that she needed to be here, with her friends, for her friends. That she couldn't run away, never again. She had to be strong for them.

…

Blake stepped out the bathroom, hearing the distant beginnings of breakfast under Tai's careful ministrations, and made her way to Ruby's room. Her team leader was up, the curtains flung wide to provide Ruby with enough light as she wrote. Her head popped up at the sound of her door: Ruby's face was still paler than it used to be, eyes still more worn, but she was recovering. "Mornin, Blake."

"Good morning, Ruby. I'm done with the shower, and heading down for breakfast."

"I'll be down in a little while, then." She bent back to her task, making sure her hand was as close to calligraphy as she could manage. Ruby had taken to writing letters to Weiss, the past month or so, and she seemed to take solace in the act. Weiss had not responded to them, and Blake doubted they ever reached their fourth teammate, but Ruby wrote regardless. With a well-controlled smile, Blake headed to check on Yang.

Sunflowers festooned the room, now, brightening the space to levels Blake thought fit Yang far more. The blonde in question was still asleep, and Blake was content to let her snooze as she changed the water in the pots. Yang's gauntlet sat on the bedside table, polished metal gleaming in the early morning light. Blake finally approached the bed: "Yang? Yang, time to wake up." Her partner stirred, sitting up like a zombie. "Tai and I are making breakfast, Ruby is showering. How are you feeling?"

Yang dragged a hand across her face, briefly wiping at her eyes. "I'll be down…" she said tiredly. She was responsive early, a good sign. Blake nodded in support, then set about gathering some clothes for Yang; not because Yang needed the help, of course, but because Yang would likely just dress in sweats again.

Tai was chopping away at some fruit, a few eggs lying beside him, and the coffee on the brew. The corner cabinet was open, yet Tai was alert and cheery. Both Ruby and Yang joined them at the table that morning; still a rare occurrence, but growing more frequent. Yang kept her cool, while Ruby made some conversation. She even smiled a few times, real ones at that. Blake felt a smile creep across her own face, doing her best to suppress her and Tai's surprise at the sisters' good moods.

"Yang, Ruby, can you come to Patchwork with me after lunch? I need to pick a few things up." Yang agreed absentmindedly, but Ruby looked curious. Blake kept eating her omelette, though, refusing to provide specifics.

Blake continued to deflect and distract, eyes frequently checking her scroll, until it was finally time. With rushed good wishes from Tai, she bustled her teammates out towards town.

Blake probably shared more of her own past in the twenty-minute walk to town than she had in eight months at Beacon. A brave, necessary sacrifice to keep the Rose-Xiao Long sisters off-guard.

"- Well, I certainly wasn't going to move to Menagerie, not with my family there."

"You have family in Menag-" Ruby stopped, noticing where Blake had led them during their 'interrogation' of her. "Blake, why are we in the airport?"

"Most likely to pick us up?" Ruby and Yang spun to the familiar voice, while Blake matched the other's smug grin.

"PYRRHA!" The girls cheered, launching themselves at Team JNPR.

Team RWBY wasn't alright, not by a long shot.

But they were getting better.

* * *

 **Post:** So, V5 is almost upon us! With the return of RWBY imminent, I figured I should let y'all know I will continue to write WPF during the season. This story takes place within the time skip of the V3 finale (beginning of fall into winter), so V5 _probably_ won't interfere with what's happened. What comes next is something I'm not entirely sure of, however.

There are a handful of moments I've had bouncing in my skull, yes, but for the most part I let the story carry me along as I write it. With the new volume approaching, however, we'll soon have access to more events in RWBY. As previously mentioned, I'm planning on closing the story without entering V4, but if V5 is cooperative, that will likely change. In the event that I do continue the story, I **will not** make a sequel fic you will also have to follow, but instead just continue this one. Obviously, this part of WPF is fairly far down the line, but I figured I would put this out now, so y'all are aware. A full rewrite of V4, obviously, comes with some issues, so it likely will feature a story hiatus of some length.


	18. Patchwork Comfort

**A/N:** Aaaaaaand we're back! Good day, everyone, I hope you are doing well? Sorry for the small delay on this chapter, life caught up, and I couldn't give it the slip. But we're back and writing now, returning to our regular supply of JNPR & Arkos! For those of you who may have missed it, I had another story come out as well this past week. "Nevrospastos" will be a comedic fic updated occasionally, once again following JNPR/RNJR following V3, but that story goes in a fairly different direction.

Well, I'm rambling again: thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter seventeen!

* * *

Pyrrha struggled to her feet, having been tackle-hugged by Ruby and Yang, and almost having a rib broken in the process. Jaune was laughing uncontrollably, right up until the moment Ruby latched onto him, while Yang was accepting a crushing embrace from Nora. Ren had strategically positioned himself behind Nora, out of line of hug, while the remaining member of RWBY glided up beside her.

"Good to see you, Pyrrha, how's JNPR?" Blake's eyes were bright, a laughing smile dancing across her face. She gave Pyrrha a brief hug, caught up in the moment enough to break out of her shell.

Not one to hurt the mood, Pyrrha smiled back. "We're doing wonderful, Blake! It's tremendous to see RWBY so high in spirits." Blake nodded happily, her ears pivoting slightly towards her teammates.

"They're having a pretty good day. I hope a certain blonde doofus doesn't drag us down, though."

"I heard that!" whimpered Jaune, who had somehow been convinced to give Yang a piggyback ride. Pyrrha wasn't sure how she felt about that…

"I know. Now let's back home; if I have to distract these two another minute, I may end up giving away my bank account info."

Yang snorted from atop her blond perch. "Blakey, like you've got anything in there to lose." She leaned towards Jaune's ear, stage whispering: 'Her PIN is-" A quick swipe, accompanied by a completely-not-catlike hiss, from Blake left the two sisters giggling, and the group of six began their return trip to the Xiao-Long household.

Eventually, Yang was kind enough to get off Jaune's back, literally, and took the lead with Ruby. Jaune and Nora followed behind eagerly enough, with Blake, Ren, and herself bringing up the rear. When the sisters pulled well ahead, Pyrrha leaned towards her black-haired friend.

"How are they, then? Any word on Yang's prosthetic?" Blake nearly jumped out of her skin, but once she assured herself Yang had not heard, responded.

"They've been doing better the last month or so. Ruby and I have been hunting Grimm a few times, and Yang even asked her Dad about sparring. Tai says the…" Blake hesitated for only a brief moment when Yang looked back at them. She covered the pause by pretending to check her scroll, and showing it to Pyrrha. "It's about a month out; some friends are pulling strings, so he's been dodging it. To answer your question, yes, they're doing better. Not perfect, but well enough."

Ren smiled, and made a point of watching their friends. "It seems they had an exceptional caregiver, Pyrrha." Blake flushed slightly at that, crossing her arms.

"Tai's been exceptional." Ren shook his head, and she laughed a tad.

"Blake, no need to be embarrassed. You set out to help them, and you've done a grand job!" This of course, just intensified Blake's flustered state. "Just being there for them makes more of a difference than you might think." Yang and Ruby let out cheers, and Nora turned back to them.

"Hurry up, lazy butts, we're here!" She bellowed in an excited tone. Ren sighed, whether it was out of contentment or exasperation would only be apparent to their little group. The three picked up their pace, breaking through the treeline and winding up to the large cabin on the hill.

They were greeted at the door by a tanned, blond man dressed in casual clothes reminiscent to Yang's own outfit. The sisters rushed to his side, and Ruby spoke animatedly.

"Dad, this is team JNPR. Team JNPR, dad!" They all greeted the man, and Tai returned it happily.

"So this is the bunch of troublemakers corrupting my daughters!" His great smile belied his threatening tone. "And now you've come to steal them away from me: I suppose I can't help but feel a little green."

"Daaaad!" Yang and Ruby moaned in unison. The joke had seemed to go over Jaune's head, he looked too chagrined, but it only confirmed yet again that this was surely the man who had raised Yang. The group bustled inside, the girls begging their father not keep up terrible jokes.

"In all seriousness, Mr. Xiao Long, thank you for letting us stay with you."

"Ah, it's nothing. And call me Tai, Pyrrha. On to room and board!" He led the seven of them upstairs, and Pyrrha was overjoyed to spy Zwei waiting atop it. The small corgi bounded past all of them to curl up against Blake's feet, while Blake kept trying to get as far away from him as possible.

"Ruby, You're going to have to move in with your sister, JNPR can stay in your room. We've got a couple air mattresses around here somewhere…" He had started rummaging through a closet, when Pyrrha felt the need to interject.

She discreetly elbowed Jaune, showed him a bit of teeth, and began. "Tai, should Nora and I stay with the others? Or perhaps Ren and Jaune should take the couches?" She felt Jaune step closer as she spoke.

"Hmm? Why's that, don't you share a room at Beacon?"

She nodded once. "We do, it's just that we don't know if you'd be comfortable with a couple sharing a room."

Ruby, Blake, and Yang fixed their eyes on Ren and Nora.

Pyrrha's hand would have twitched for Milo, had Jaune not just begun holding it.

"Woah, don't look at us!" Nora shook her hands in front of her vigorously, and their other friends turned to Jaune and she. Jaune planted a light kiss on her cheek. Ruby, Blake, and Yang were transfixed, while Tai suppressed a laugh, with great difficulty.

"Nah, I don't think it'll be a problem. At least, it wasn't for my team." Jaune led JNPR into Ruby's room, her by the hand, Pyrrha proudly passing her stunned friends. They went about unpacking their bags, unrolling the air mattresses Tai eventually found, and otherwise preparing to settle in.

Maybe four minutes after they started, their sister team finally recovered.

"You did it!" Yang bellowed, throwing herself at Pyrrha. "How'd you get through to him?! Have you been on a date yet? Make out?"

"Yang!" Ruby, still not quite recovered from her shock, managed to just squeak out her reproach to that last question. Jaune had turned an adorable shade of pink, fussing over his armor; the revelation he was last to catch onto her feelings wasn't one that sat well with him.

"In order: I asked him to play me a song, a few," she felt her genial smile turn wicked, "and yes."

"Pyr!" Jaune rounded on her, aghast.

"Butt out, Ladykiller," Yang retorted, "I need the details on this, STAT. He any good? And isn't a song a cheesy?"

"That's what I asked." Nora added laconically. Ruby had recovered, moving into the room, but was clearly too nervous to inquire, while Blake looked on with almost maternal approval.

"If Pyrrha wanted to avoid cheesy, she picked the wrong target."

"Ren!" Her boyfriend whirled, pained, to stare down his teammate. Ren smiled, but shrugged.

" _Well… you know, he's not wrong."_ Pyrrha decided. "Jaune's a wonderful musician, Yang."

"Thanks, Pyrrha." He looked almost recovered from the ordeal.

"And a good kisser."

Jaune leaned over and buried his head in the bed exhaustively, Ruby patting him on the shoulders in consolation.

* * *

Tai was hard at work in the kitchen, while JNPR and the remains of RWBY sequestered themselves in Yang's room. Now that everyone was done teasing him into oblivion, Jaune had opted to call a serious meeting. The sisters were seated on Yang's bed, Blake on top of the bedside table - beyond Zwei's reach -, Ren and Nora were relaxing on Blake's mattress, while he and Pyrrha shared a chair they had dragged in.

If he was going to have to face snipes at his obliviousness, then he was going to enjoy the privileges of dating in the process.

"I'm not quite sure if I'm even allowed to tell you," Pyrrha began hesitantly, "but I think you all deserve to know what's really going on - and I trust you will all be careful." The girls all nodded for Pyrrha to continue.

"During the Tournament, the Headmaster approached me with a secret, and a proposal. He told me that some fairy tales are real - specifically the Tale of the Four Maidens - and that a new Fall Maiden was needed. He, Professor Goodwitch, General Ironwood, and Qrow Branwen asked me to take the Maiden's role."

"Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked, surprised.

"Yes; he was one of the Headmaster's confidants in this. I was… concerned. They told me there were risks to the process, and they were unsure what would happen to me. Before I could decide, the attack happened. The Headmaster found us during it, and I opted to try." Jaune wrapped an arm around her waist protectively, enjoying the memories as little as everyone else present.

"That's where Jaune and I went during the attack. We started the process, but were interrupted by Cinder Fall." Jaune didn't miss how Ruby's eyes went hard at the name. "Ozpin covered our escape, but then Jaune and I…" She fell silent, flushing at the memory out of embarrassment and frustration.

"Ended up trapped in a locker?" Blake offered.

"Yes." Pyrrha was hiding behind her hair, still a little embarrassed by the whole incident. He was glad the moment wasn't terrifying anymore, but it hadn't _quite_ moved to funny yet.

"Well, I had thought the process had failed, but…" Pyrrha's hands took on a black glow, as did Jaune's armor. He levitated out of the chair, and Pyrrha stretched out to take the freed space.

" _I don't remember agreeing to lose my seat."_ Jaune decided now wasn't the best time to undercut the performance, though. Yang looked like she was going to talk, but instead let out a brief squeak, throwing her arms around Ruby.

Their bed was lifting off the ground. _All_ of the furniture was levitating, black light pulsing from screws and nails and metal plates, all seven of them slowing rotating as Pyrrha spun them through the room.

No one spoke as she moved them two full turns of the room, setting them down where they had been. She dropped him onto her lap, and Jaune leaned in close. "Have I ever mentioned how amazing you are?" She swatted his chest playfully, and waited for everyone to come back from the spell her demonstration had cast over them.

"I don't have _all_ of the powers, but I've gained some portion of it; enough to enhance my own and recall some of the previous Maiden's past. We're going to go to Vale, to find Professor Goodwitch, and see what she can tell us about my powers. We want to help."

Their friends were quiet for a while, thinking.

It was Ruby that broke it, though. "Pyrrha? If you find Cinder…" her eyes screwed shut, fists clenched at her sides. Jaune had never seen Ruby so angry before, and despite her size, it scared him.

"That's what we're planning!" He jumped in quickly, before Ruby said something they would all regret. "What about you guys? Does Team RWBY have any ideas? Want us to do anything for you in Vale?" Yang tugged on Ruby a tad, trying to draw the girl from her anger, while Blake took the lead.

"We've actually been thinking about what to do." She hopped from her perch to search the drawer for something, eventually flicking a sealed envelope to him. Jaune stared dumbstruck at who it was addressed to.

"Think you can find her for us?" He looked back to Blake, the girl having returned to her dog-free refuge. Her face was hopeful, and scared.

"Yeah, I think we can, Blake." he tucked the letter inside his hoodie, swallowing against the fear in his throat.

"Thanks." A quiet seemed to overtake them, then. A silence observed for what they had been through, and what they had left to face. It was not a comforting moment, but Jaune didn't know how to snap them out of it this time.

So Nora, once again, came to their rescue.

"Hey Yang, did you know Jaune's sisters used to dress him up when he was little? They let me make some copies of the good ones, too!"

 _"Anything but that! Don't do it, Nora!"_

Jaune tried to jump to his own defense, but his treacherous girlfriend held him in place! He could only watch, helpless, and Yang, Ruby, and Blake cooed and laughed over the scroll Nora traitorously wielded.

"Why do I let you guys do this to me?" He moaned into Pyrrha shoulder.

"Because you love us." She replied cheerily. And dammit if she wasn't right.

* * *

She _had_ been joking about it, at the time, but now Pyrrha was confronted with an issue. Dinner had been crowded and full of laughter: all the while Tai watched his daughters' smiles with an even greater one, and Pyrrha knew this had been a good idea. The two teams even gathered to watch a movie after, for old times' sake! But it wasn't until JNPR reached Ruby's room that Pyrrha actually realized there was an issue.

She wasn't sure if _she_ _could_ share a room with Jaune.

" _It's ridiculous, you slept in the same room as him for more than half a year!"_ She chided herself. _"You're workout partners, you've taught him hand-to-hand combat! You shared an en suite shower, but now you can't sleep in the same room?!"_

The dressing down from 'Miss Nikos of JNPR' conveniently ignored the weeks of growing pains as she learned what life with no personal space was. An only child, Pyrrha had always been accustomed to a room to herself, while her team rarely had the experience; Jaune was even used to co-ed living from his years with Rouge.

She'd adjusted though, so why was it a problem now? _"It isn't! This is normal for us, for JNPR."_ Ignoring the growing heat of her face, Pyrrha gathered up her pajamas and toothbrush before heading to the bathroom Tai had pointed out to them.

Garbed for war in the tank top and loose pants she used for sleepwear, Pyrrha returned to their room, only to freeze as she stepped in. Jaune, dressed in the tee and boxers they had eventually convinced him to use in place of the onesie, was chatting with the pyjama'd Ren, but both failed to notice the alterations Nora had made to their sleeping arrangements: her excitable friend had pushed one pair of mattresses close together, and had stretched herself out to cover the other two mattresses. One of which had Ren's things on it.

Nora watched her, starry-eyed and sharp toothed.

Pyrrha felt the heat rush back to her face, and set about trying to escape Nora's indecent trap. It wasn't that she didn't _trust_ Jaune, or herself, but neither of them were ready for _that_ step: literally sharing a bed had connotations she wasn't yet ready for.

Pyrrha marched to the full bed, sitting on the edge before sending Nora a defeated glower: Nora smiled, and dropped her head to the pillow. With her defenses down, Pyrrha struck. Ren's bags flew across the room, decelerating soundlessly into her hands as Pyrrha set them atop her mattress. Before Nora could ready herself, Pyrrha pushed off from her perch, crashing into both girl and mattress.

Despite her greater strength, Nora was both shorter and slower than Pyrrha, allowing her to succinctly secure herself a position on the mattress and push the discombobulated Nora away, creating a reasonable amount of space between the two of them. Pyrrha reached out again, this time to send _her own_ bag flying, dropping it at the feet of her claimed spot just as Nora wrestled up from the floor; entrenched and provisioned, Pyrrha moved for the throat.

"Jaune, would you mind if I borrowed your scroll charger? I've misplaced mine." She hadn't, Jaune had packed it in his bag, but her question pulled both boys from their conversation and towards them. Both, obviously, had to see Pyrrha and Nora seated on the mattresses, leaving the only open ones for them.

"Oh, I think I grabbed yours, Pyr!" As Jaune shuffled through his bag, Pyrrha turned to see her opponent glowering at her. Ever gracious in victory, she returned a pleasant smile.

Pyrrha stretched out on her bed, ignoring Nora's foot firmly lodged in her side, and let out a tired yawn. "Goodnight, everyone."

"Sleep well." Ren responded.

"Night, team!" Jaune added sleepily.

"Yeah, night guys." Nora ground out.


	19. A Cast-iron Will

**A/N:** Aaaand we're back! Sorry for the delay, folks, a few happy family matters happened in quick succession, and I found myself without as much writing time. But we're back, even if it is with an oddly timed release for this chapter, but I hope this won't cause much of an issue.

Thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter eighteen!

* * *

Jaune crept from JNPR's shared room in the cabin, trying to sneak his way to the bathroom without waking either his team or the home's regular residents. Growing up with so many siblings had keenly refined his understanding of limited bathrooms, so he always made a point to be up and moving early. With Nora - JNPR's only other natural early riser - still soundly asleep, Jaune had expected to find the second floor's bathroom unoccupied: the locked door disagreed. He sat against the wall, writing an update for his sisters, waiting for the mystery occupant to finish up. Blake emerged, dressed for the day but with ears uncovered, and jumped like, well, a startled cat.

"Morning, Blake?" Jaune offered hesitantly. She shook herself, muttering something he couldn't make out.

"Hey, Jaune, sorry... I'm not used to anyone but Tai and I being up. I'm going to check on breakfast and my team. Will the others be joining us?"

He and Blake shifted spots in the hall, Jaune dropping his bundle of clothes and towel on the counter. "Nora, but Ren and Pyrrha?" Blake nodded understanding, turning for the stairs.

Sure enough, a mildly-less-energetic Nora was waiting for him when Jaune stepped out after a brief shower, and they traded spaces as he had with Blake. When he made his way downstairs, Jaune found Tai hard at work. The table set for six, and another plate waited on the counter. Blake was at work as well, but it was the machine between them that had his attention.

A coffee pot, unattended.

Jaune checked over his shoulder to be sure Nora was still showering, then began looking for places to dump the dangerous liquid. He heard Blake's quiet laughter, and drew himself back to the real world. Blake was smirking at him, a mug of tea in her hand.

"Don't worry, Jaune, I remember the last time: it's decaf."

"Savages…" Tai mumbled from the stovetop. "Why drink coffee if it's decaf?"

Jaune chuckled nervously: "Ask Professor Goodwitch what happened last time Nora had black coffee." He shuddered at the memory: It had taken six people to restrain her.

"Still…" Tai trailed off, but soon enough the three were plating meals. Nora wandered in, taking up position at the table expectantly, and Yang followed soon after, her wild mane pulled back. Talk was mostly about good running routes, where the important stores and facilities in Patch were, and vague plans for the week. To Jaune's surprise, Ren stumbled in halfway through their meal.

Without saying a word to anyone, Ren buried himself in the fridge, reemerging with a hodgepodge of ingredients he would somehow turn into a five-star meal, as he was wont to do. Amazing smells drifted over from the stove as Tai wolfed down the rest of his plate. Once he finished, he moved to the sink and rinsed his plate.

"I'm off for Ruby, be back soon."

"Is she alright?" Ren asked groggily, and Tai stopped by the exit, the other plate of food in hand. Blake and Yang shared an uneasy look, their meals temporarily forgotten.

"Ruby's… doing better. But, sometimes she still has a bad day." He shrugged. "Everyone does. I've been there before, I guess I am now. Qrow and I, we were family, and he meant the world to Ruby."

Ren had stopped his miracle work by then, leaning against the counter. "May I?" He gestured towards the plate Tai held. Jaune noticed Nora tense.

"I've… been there before too, sir. I'd like to help, if I can." Tai reluctantly handed the dish off to Ren, and his brother made his way upstairs, the meal seeming to weigh more than a mountain. Nora looked as if she was about to run after him, but she eventually settled for locking her hands on the table.

"Ren and I have been through a lot. I think he can help." Tai nodded, still a little confused, and left the kitchen without a word. That left the rest of them alone with the scraping of silverware.

Ren and Nora had never spoken in detail, but he and Pyrrha had gathered a decent understanding: Ren and Nora's home had been destroyed in a Grimm attack, no one else made it out. They'd spent a decade bouncing through Anima: foster homes, orphanages, even sometimes just living off the land. It had been a hard life, and they'd only ever had each other. Their apprenticeship under a few Huntsmen leading up to Beacon had been the most stable part of their lives, and it had only been a few years

Ren wasn't usually a talker, but Jaune knew that whatever he did, Ruby would be the better for it.

Footsteps shuffling down the stairs drew everyone's eyes to the door in time to see a sleepy Pyrrha wander in. His partner, still half a zombie, shambled her way to the pot of tea, and Jaune realized they hadn't made anything for her!

He rushed over the Ren's abandoned meal, trying to decipher the dish. So long as she was warm, Pyrrha would remain sleepy: his hoodie was going to buy him some time on this. He thought Ren must have planned some kind of egg burrito with spring onions and peppers, but under his hand it would have to be an omelette. What the red beans and oats were for, he had no idea, but-

Jaune stopped, blinking, and looked back to Pyrrha. His girlfriend was propped against counter with her hands wrapped around a steaming mug, his hoodie wrapped around her. There was something _very_ _right_ , he decided, about how the baggie thing hung from her and the way her bedhead jutted out all around the hood. A stupid grin blazed across his face, and Jaune got back to work on her breakfast. It was the least he could do.

"…What is that?" Blake asked, deadpan. Jaune looked over his shoulder, seeing Yang and Blake staring at Pyrrha.

"Hmm?" Pyrrha mumbled. "Tea."

"No!" Yang spluttered, "What are you _wearing?"_ Jaune suddenly had a sinking feeling.

"Jaune's hoodie." The still sleep-addled Pyr replied simply, rolling her shoulders inside it. Both girls turned to him, and Jaune felt the sinking feeling turn to a plummet when Yang started to giggle.

"Jaune," Blake asked in a too neutral tone, "why is there a _bunny_ on your hood?"

* * *

Ren remained sequestered with Ruby until well after lunch. He only stepped out to get some tea for both of them, and to assure Nora everything would be alright. Pyrrha's self-adopted sister took up a post outside the room, ensuring that whatever Ren and Ruby spoke of would remain private. The rest of them soon understood this was not likely to end soon, and went about their plans for the day.

For Pyrrha, that meant training with Jaune. Not their usual sparring, no, this was focused on her _more_ _recent_ acquisitions. Which was why she was seated in the middle of a field, safely distant from the Xiao Long cabin, staring sternly at a rock.

"I've made up my mind: I hate this rock." She announced with utmost surety. Somewhere behind her, she heard Jaune's voice call back.

"Yeah, it's a pretty annoying rock. But you know we have to try." And he was right; he'd gone into town just to get this annoying, stupid, big rock. Just for her. A part of her mind idly considered what it might be like next time Jaune got her a rock: would it be the good kind, or just a bigger version of this one?

" _Knowing my luck, it'll be a boulder…"_ She realized she was drifting, and focused back on the rock, pouring her will onto the thing.

The stone was a piece of unrefined iron ore, and was their latest exercise for her Maiden Powers. Pyrrha was capable of manipulating magnetic objects, and with a touch could make even non-magnetic metals react to her semblance. That was the key, though: touch. She had yet to influence untouched material or non-metals. The hated stone qualified in both categories, so the old Pyrrha should have had no way to manipulate it.

But with the Maiden powers? With them, they'd recognized her growing strength within her old strictures, so why not test them here? The intermittent black glow that would flicker around the rock was a _very_ promising sign.

She was capable of manipulating it, even if it was only a wiggle or two, but even that was absurdly difficult to maintain. She would keep at it, though: _"Mistral wasn't built in a day."_

She could faintly make out the rustle of fabric from Jaune behind her, hard at work himself, following their physical training program. Jaune had improved wondrously since he arrived, yet his speed, strength, and stamina were still behind the rest of their circle. So long as he kept up the physical work, she'd keep up the spiritual.

She could feel the unnerving tension building within, a spring pressed too far or a rope pulled too tight. The feeling was one she's grown to recognize: her powers pressing her, or more accurately her pressing them. She focused harder on the stone, her gaze boring a hole through the rock. The sounds of Jaune and the field began to fade, and the periphery of her vision began to dim.

The glow of her semblance shuttered to existence, and Pyrrha _pushed_. The anti-light did not fade, and the tension built higher. The rock shivered. She pushed _harder_.

A ripcord tearing in her very being, and the chunk of ore lifted from the ground. As she had willed it. Her vision returned to normal, sounds other than her own hammering heartbeat started to filter in, and the stone remained floating above the ground.

"Jaune, I did it!" she cheered, though she quickly silenced herself when she saw the stone begin to falter.

"What?" She heard quick steps as Jaune rushed over. "Ha, I knew you could!" He crowed, sliding down next to her. Jaune's speedy embrace snapped her focus, however, and the stupid thing thunked to the ground.

"Oh crap, that was my fault? I'm so sorry, Pyrrha!" Jaune pushed himself a bit farther from her, but did not let go. She turned to frown at Jaune, but he looked so much like a kicked puppy, she couldn't keep up the glower.

She sighed: "It's alright, Jaune, you didn't know." She took hold and pulled him closer, then returned her ire to the rock. "I still hate it, though." He patted her stomach consolingly.

"And I hate crunches, but…" he trailed off meaningfully. She sighed again, and focused back on the rock. He was right. A brief peck on her cheek, and Jaune headed back to his workout.

" _I can do this."_ With that last determined thought, she returned to her efforts.

* * *

JNPR had been on Patch a week when Jaune received the call he'd been waiting for, or dreading. He'd called the day before leaving Bar, his first attempt to reach out, but he'd been forced to leave a message. Due to the sensitive nature of what was going on, Jaune didn't want to leave too detailed a message though, so he probably ended up way down the to-do list.

His scroll reading "Prof. Goodwitch" marked the end of the wait. Jaune suddenly felt the need to straighten his tie, despite the fact he was wearing a tee shirt. He considered if he could do anything to make the situation better, but his mind was blank and the scroll ringing. With a final gulp, Jaune answered the call.

"Hi, Professor Goodwitch." His voice wavered in fear, to his humiliation.

"It's good to hear from you, Mr. Arc. I apologize for not reaching you all sooner, but we have been quite busy in Vale." Jaune could believe it: even through her normal sternness, Jaune could hear the weary tone.

"It's okay, totally! I just… I needed…" Jaune stumbled to find the right words. _"I should have practiced this."_ He groused inwardly.

"Are _you_ alright, Jaune? Has there been any issues with your team?" The professor sounded worried herself now, which propelled Jaune to speak up.

"We're fine! The team is actually visiting Patch right now: seeing RWBY. But, uhh, there is _something_. Something with Pyrrha?" He offered, hoping she caught his drift.

"Mr. Arc, please be frank with me, I have precious little time, and none for more small talk."

"We, JNPR, know that _the thing_ kinda worked, ma'am. The thing with Ozpin and Pyrrha." He blurted, before Goodwitch could give him detention.

The professor went very quiet on the other line.

"I see." The flat voice was pretty terrifying.

"Yeah."

"When does Team JNPR intend to return to Vale? I assume that's what this is about then?" The exhaustion was gone, replaced with a more natural fierceness.

"End of the week, probably. We wanted to be sure our friends were okay first." He offered lamely, as an excuse for a delay she wouldn't like.

"I disapprove of the delay," He totally called that, "but I cannot force your hands on this matter, I imagine. While I don't approve of Miss Nikos' current level of discretion either, I safely assume your team will be more circumspect?"

" _Well, we told Ruby, Yang, and Blake too, but aside from them, absolutely!"_ Jaune definitely didn't say. Instead, he replied with a simple "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Thank you for informing me of this, Mister Arc. I look forward to speaking with all of you. Next Week." She emphasized. It was no longer a 'probably'.

"See you then, professor." The call ended then, and Jaune let out a sigh of relief. Then he reached for the roll of toilet paper.

Jaune rejoined his friends in the living room, all seven of them had been watching a crime noir Sun and Neptune had once recommended. He took his spot on the spread blankets by Pyrrha, leaning close to her ear.

"I got a call from Miss Goodwitch, she wants us in Vale next week." Pyrrha tensed at his words, but nodded. He immediately kicked himself for ruining the moment with news like that, but it was too late. He settled in to watch, arm around her, and hoped they could get a few more good days out of this trip.

* * *

Pyrrha was slowly returning to the land of the living, tea warming her hands as she sat slumped in the sofa. She could hear Nora and Yang laughing in the kitchen, but she was content to enjoy the slow return to wakefulness. Steps behind her, and Jaune dropped to the cushion to her right, a bowl of fruit in his hands.

"Morning, Pyrrha." he greeted warmly.

"Mrn, Jn" She mumbled, floating one of the forks he held into her unoccupied hand. The two began to eat, and Jaune didn't bother to keep up a conversation with her in such a state. He was wonderful like that.

Her humanity had begun to return to acceptable levels when Jaune's fork came up to her mouth, a small piece of cantaloupe skewered on it. She glanced sidewise to see her partner smirking playfully at her. She returned it, then took part in the overly-romantic gesture with a dainty bite.

Swallowing her piece, she offered up a slice of pineapple to Jaune. He happily accepted, and prepared another bite for her. She luxuriated in the warm, bubbly feeling in her stomach and in Jaune's earnest attention as they traded morsels. When Jaune raised his next spoonful, a wondrous plan struck her, and Pyrrha locked onto his eyes. She moved with all the languid grace she could muster, watching the rapture in Jaune's eyes as she slowly pulled the fruit free.

"You love birds ready for some fun!" This, of course, would be when Yang interrupted them.

Yang let out a bark of laughter, diving over the couch to crash onto both of them. The bowl went flying, both of them reaching out for it, but a dash of roses sped through, and neither bowl nor fruit landed on the earth. Instead, Ruby held up the ceramic, smiling wide.

"Yeah! Time for us to go! It's gonna be awesome!" She said gleefully. Yang scrambled off their laps to stand next to Ruby, striking the same pose, and even Blake drifted in to join them.

"What's goin' on?" Nora called from the kitchen, the remainder of JNPR joining them in the living room.

"What's going on", Ruby answered, "is that Team RWBY is gonna take their pals Team JNPR into Patchwork for a good time today!"

"It's best to just let it happen, when these two get like this." Blake drawled.

"No sass from you, Miss Mopey." Yang fired back, earning an arched brow from Blake.

"I promise you guys, it'll be super fun!" Ruby insisted. Pyrrha looked over to her team. Ren was his normal calm self, and Jaune shrugged his lack of objection.

Nora was standing next to Yang, holding the same pose.

"Alright, Team JNPR and RWBY trip it is." Jaune returned, helplessly.


	20. The Wheel Keeps Turning

**A/N:** Aaaaand we're back! Quick turnaround on this one, and a special thanks to Harmonious Arkos Sloth for their help in preparing this chapter. Along with being gracious enough to save my hide, Sloth is also a writer here on FFN: check em out!

thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter twenty!

* * *

When Ruby and Yang finally broke their group out of the bustle of Patchwork, onto the long pier, Pyrrha nearly burst into laughter.

A pierside park. They had brought them to a fair, just like back in Beacon.

"Welcome, to Patchwork Park!" Yang declared, waving grandly to the entrance. Stalls and tents lined the wide avenue, and she could see a collection of rides running along the edge all the way to the pier's terminus. The smell of saltwater mixed with fair food, which was altogether not a pleasant thing, but plenty of laughter could be heard amongst the bustle of people and the whirring of machines. Most of the rest of her party was giddy, smells aside, and the whole group moved in, determined to enjoy another day in Patch.

"There's normally beach access, too, but it's _probably_ too cold for that now." Yang added. The brisk cool of autumn had not yet turned to winter's chill, but the water certainly would be. Yang bumped Blake towards a gap in the rail, and their faunus friend looked as if she was planning on dragging Yang with her into the icy depths, if the vice-grip on Yang's empty sleeve was any indicator.

Pyrrha didn't miss how Blake winced at the action of grabbing that sleeve, once reflex had faded.

"ARCADE!" Bellowed Nora. Pyrrha knew what was coming, it had happened more than once in Vale, and she took a deep breath. Said breath was promptly forced out as Nora took hold of all of JNPR in a sweeping grab, hauling all three of them with her towards the arcade tent. In her bouncing jostle, Pyrrha could make out their sister team giving pursuit. Or trying to, Yang and Ruby were struggling to move, bent over laughing.

Deposited inside the hall, JNPR were greeted by flaring lights and blaring machines, lined in rows throughout. Nora stepped forth, their leader in this place. "Alright, ladies, let's do this!"

"Hey!" Ren and Jaune objected in sequence. Nora ignored them, of course, her eyes sweeping the floor. It fell on the Whack-a-Grimm, though she only took a single step before all three of her teammates piled onto her.

"Nora, I'm giving you an order: **no Whack-a-Grimm.** " Jaune commanded their tiny teammate.

" _His ordering voice is the same as his father's."_ Nora looked as if Jaune had ordered her to _burn down_ the arcade, but she accepted the command nonetheless.

"We'll stop on the way back to the cabin, you can play it then." Jaune offered, lessening the blow.

"Deal!" Nora crushed Jaune's hand in a shake, turning away from the machine as the four of them rose from their pile in time for RWBY to arrive.

"Huh, you guys haven't been banned yet: that's an improvement." Ruby chuckled.

"None of that!" Jaune chided. "Alright, we got a lot in here, what do you guys wa-"

"Dance pad." Ren interjected, pointing towards the giant machine several rows down, calmly striding away from the group of seven. Jaune, his brief authority in tatters, watched him go.

"Alright, we're doing dance pads!" He took Pyrrha by the hand and followed after Ren, leaving the others to take up the rear.

Ren had already taken one of the two positions, and Pyrrha just managed to get Jaune up there rather than herself. The two boys stood ready on stage, while the girls gathered 'round. The two exchanged those cryptic looks & shrugs all boys seem to know, and Ren set the game to competitive.

"Go Ren!" Nora cried.

"You can do it, Jaune!" She fired back.

"Jaune's screwed." Yang stage whispered to Blake. Pyrrha knew Jaune was a good dancer, but it was still Ren in his natural habitat. An idea struck her, one just in line with her partner.

"Jaune?" She asked, stepping up to the rail. Jaune moved off his pad, leaning over to her. She stretched up, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "For luck." She stepped back down to rejoin her friends, but Jaune looked as if he was going to float onto the ceiling. She had seen her little stunt pulled a hundred times in movies or books, and though she had always thought it silly, the way Jaune carried himself had her thinking differently.

"I got this, Pyrrha." He said with absolute confidence.

* * *

No amount of subsequent tickets or ridiculous prizes from the arcade could quite patch the raw wound of his utter defeat. Ren hadn't just beaten him, he hadn't just won. He had _demolished him._ Utterly, totally crushed him. A recording of their match would probably be rated unsafe for unsupervised children, it was _that_ bad.

The gang had moved out of the arcade since, and they had slowly separated into the crowd. Ruby, Yang, and Nora, with Ren and Blake as hostages, had been dragged off to this ride or that stall, and soon Jaune and Pyrrha found themselves alone together in the park.

" _Well, I'm not complaining, that's for sure. I'll take any alone time."_ Jaune looked around at the thronging crowd. _"Well, whatever counts as alone time."_ Getting some time away from his family and team had been a little hard in tight-knit Bar. In Patch, though, they were just a pair of kids enjoying their day, especially with Pyrrha's "disguise". At the moment, that involved a pleasure he'd missed out on back at Beacon.

Getting Pyrrha to eat ridiculously unhealthy fair food.

"I still don't know why you would _fry_ ice cream." She said warily, looking at the dish they'd been served.

"Come on, Pyrrha, it's part of the fun!" He cut free a piece, popped it into his mouth, and made pleasant noises. "See? Try it, please?" He cut free another piece, holding it up to her. Pyrrha had a sweet tooth, yes, but she didn't immediately jump into the crazy stuff. Leaving her alone with a chocolate cake was a different story, though.

Pyrrha eventually caved, and took a bite from the spoon: her eyes went wide at the weird taste. "Oh my god…"

"I know!" They promptly demolished the bowl.

It was when they were eating the coffee-flavored cotton candy that Pyrrha spotted a booth she could not ignore. She took hold of him and dragged him towards it excitedly. The deep shooting gallery had a series of air rifles lined up along the front, cans stacked in the back, and stuffed animals all along the walls. The man by the booth smile at him, gesturing grandly.

"Well, here to win a prize for the lady, young man?" He asked with a laugh. "Or maybe, it's the other way around?" Pyrrha smirked and the vendor smiled with her when she took up one of the rifles.

"The latter." Pyrrha confirmed, in a pleasant tone. The man accepted her proffered lien and stepped back.

"Five shots to knock down a stack: the bigger the pyramid, the better the prize." The man probably expected Pyrrha to shoot for one of the smaller piles, then move her way back if she succeeded.

But he didn't know Pyrrha.

Pyrrha settled down on one knee, using the counter as well as her arms to still the weapon, even though she certainly didn't _need_ the help. Her breathing slowed momentarily, and Jaune had time to notice the beginnings of consternation on the vendor's face before the rifle let out five staccato shots.

The four furthest pyramids collapsed in a clatter of cans.

Pyrrha hopped to her feet, weapon held triumphantly above her head, while the man looked down the gallery glumly. "Could've mentioned you were a huntress, miss." He grumbled. Pyrrha locked up at that, suddenly self-conscious of defeating a game made for civilians.

"I'm sorry, do you have another range for Huntresses?" She asked with genuine worry. The man waved a hand, moving over towards the rows of prizes.

"Usually give them less shots, but it's not much different from a marksman or a soldier coming along. You don't look the part, is all." Jaune felt rather proud at that, and Pyrrha preened: her disguise had been their work.

Let her hair down, throw on the classic ballcap, borrow Yang's shades, and Pyrrha didn't look anything like her normal self. Just a girl out on a clear Fall day.

" _Never underestimate shades and a cap…"_

"And which one would our fine huntress like?" The man questioned.

"May I have that one, please?" Pyrrha pointed to the back row, and Jaune soon found himself carrying about a massive stuffed goliath. It was so comically oversized, Pyrrha had to lead him by the hand half the time. It was the second-best gift she'd ever given him.

Yang and Blake eventually collected the two of them, and the four managed to find their way into a mirror maze. The two pairs immediately split up: Yang was convinced you always go right, but _he_ remembered it was always go left. Blake and Pyrrha just watched as the two argued until Blake took it upon herself to solve the problem and walk away.

Yang hesitated, clearly not wanting to give up. She shook a finger at him: "We're not done here, Jaune. See you guys outside!" She sprinted off after Blake, and he and his partner made to go, but Yang's voice came down her hall.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't, Pyrrha!" They were both left blushing at that, Jaune fighting the urge to hide behind the stuffed animal. A few minutes of following the wall, Jaune managed to work up the nerve to talk again.

"Ya know…" He coughed awkwardly, and Pyrrha giggled a bit at his flustered state. "I'm sure they would understand if we got lost." She plucked the Goliath out of his hands, setting it down in a corner before dropping onto the cushion.

"I think I could use a few minutes rest, Jaune." She purred, feeling rather daring.

Ruby had rejoined her team when the two of them eventually got out of the maze, unaware of the knowing grin Yang sent their way. "We're gonna try the rollercoaster, come on!" Jaune felt his flushed skin go a tad green.

"Uh, Ruby, that may not be the best idea for me." Ruby looked lost for a few seconds, then slapped her head.

"Oh, duh! Sorry Jaune, I forgot about that. Have you seen Ren and Nora?"

"They're likely wherever Nora can get the most stuffed animals." Pyrrha speculated.

"Quantity over quality, huh? Well, Jaune looks happy with his." He shuffled the behemoth in his hands, chuckling a little. Yang leaned forward conspiratorially, and Jaune knew everyone was about to hear something they'd regret. "How about you, Cereal Girl? Jaune's goliath big enough for you?"

Ruby grabbed Yang by the collar before speeding off in a burst of red. Jaune buried his face in the toy to groan loudly, wanting nothing more to crawl into a hole and _die,_ but not before he saw Pyrrha turn a painful red, darker than her own hair. He prayed that if he kept his head hidden long enough, maybe he'd wake up back in Bar, all of this just a bad dream Somewhere back in the real world, he heard an uncomfortable Blake talking.

"I'm really sorry about that, Pyrrha. She's just been bottling all the puns and innuendo up, I think we've created a monster."

"It's alright!" Pyrrha stammered in a panicked titter, clearly _not_ alright. He could practically _feel_ the heat from Pyrrha's blush emanating from her.

"We'll try and find you two later, okay?"

"Kill me, please." He groaned.

* * *

Nora had lost her patience and returned to the arcade without them, so Ren was forced to escort her home when security asked her to leave. Yang and Ruby had joined a hot dog eating contest, leaving Blake to walk the overstuffed sisters back home. Ruby didn't even make it to the trash can, sadly, but they were kind enough to relieve Jaune of his gift.

She and Jaune were still enjoying their time at the fair, however, moving from stall to stall as evening moved on. At the moment, they were splitting an obscenely large sundae, enjoying the view of sunset by the sea. He offered her a bite of chocolate ice cream and fudge, which she graciously accepted.

"Have you booked our passage into Vale yet?" She asked, swallowing her bite. Jaune hummed a committal.

"Day after tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to the ride, though. Can't we take a car for once?" She floated a spoonful up to him, interrupting his frown. "Thanks."

"Not a problem, dear." He grinned at the name, and she smiled back. The cocoa-flavored heaven was a delightful meal, after all the ridiculous sweets they had tried: they weren't bad, usually, but they were more for the experience for flavor. She floated up another bite to him, ignoring the spectators her little show of semblance had drawn. "What _are_ our plans for Vale, anyway?"

Jaune looked away, focusing on the landscape. "We tell the professor, then help with Vale and Beacon. You're strong Pyrrha, really strong." She flushed a little at that, but knew it was truth and not flattery. "I mean, I don't think we'll just walk into Beacon the next day, but we can help! We're better off than we were when we left. Vale needs us."

"Plus, there's our delivery for RWBY." She reminded him, and Jaune flinched a little.

"You don't think you could handle that for me, Pyr?" The honest fear in his voice was too much, and she let out a rich laugh.

"Oh, I'm sure that won't be _too_ bad, Jaune. Besides, we still have to deal with family." Pyrrha wasn't sure if she was pleased or concerned about Jaune meeting her mother again, but in his new role. She could be _a tad overbearing_.

Jaune, unaware of her internal struggles, laughed a bit. "How about you take care of the letter, and I'll do everything else?" Jaune offered another bite, which she happily accepted. "I'll even throw in a massage, please." She patted his cheek.

"I'm sure it will turn out fine." She managed to slide the bowl to safety before Jaune's forehead landed in it, the blond mop instead dropping onto the tabletop.

* * *

Jaune's stomach was already protesting, but he knew he had to do this. He had to repress that sick feeling, for Pyrrha's sake. The line crawled forward again, and the couple stepped up to the front; their destination unnerved him to his very bones, but he had to do this, for her.

How could they go to a pierside park _and not_ try the Ferris Wheel?

The old man operating the ride took one look at their joined hands, and scowled at them. Jaune didn't have to guess if he'd been asked to "stop it at the top" today: he probably heard it a couple dozen time every day since the beginning of time. Wisely, Jaune kept his mouth shut, and instead stepped into he and Pyr's shared car.

She'd asked if he'd be alright of course, Pyrrha was always watching out for her friends, but he couldn't let her miss out on one of the classics. Looking over to her, Pyrrha was watching the nearly-vanished sun starry-eyed, and as their car rumbled into motion, she scooted close, resting her head on his shoulder.

It would have been the perfect moment, if his stomach wasn't trying to crawl out of his throat.

The ride slowly rose up, and Pyrrha wrapped her arms around his waist; Jaune stretched his own behind Pyrrha, and tried to ignore the pressure her hands were causing. "This has been a lovely day." She hummed contently into his shoulder.

"Yeah…" He forced through thick lips. His stomach was roiling, he could feel occasional surges of bile. _"Stay strong, Jaune, keep it together."_

The car rocked slightly as it leveled out, and his partner scooted closer. "You don't think everyone would mind if we were a little late getting back, do you? I'm not sure I want tonight to end yet…" A pleased warmth shuddered through Jaune, which actually combined horrifically with his nausea.

"I… I think they'd get it." The funnel cake wanted out, he could feel it.

"Jaune?" He looked down to Pyrrha, to see her resting against him, face turned up to his and very close. She pressed a hand on his chest, and leaned closer. Jaune's breath hitched.

Pyrrha's nose flared.

"Jaune." The hand, once lying lightly on his heart, pushed back with not a little force. "Jaune, are you well?" Her voice had gone dangerous.

"'M fine." He mumbled, unable to meet her eyes in the growing dark. Pyrrha's free hand took an uncompromising grip on his chin, forcing his face towards her studying eyes. Jaune felt his guilt mingle with sickness as Pyrrha watched him.

"Jaune!" She hissed indignantly. "You said the ride was too gentle to bother you."

"Ferris Wheel's a classic, you couldn't miss out." He mumbled, leaning away from her and towards the seaward edge.

"And you vomiting would be good for the mood?" She accused.

"… _She has a point."_ A corner of his mind agreed. Before he could make a counter, Pyrrha let out a quiet huff, settling a hand on the rail of their car, and closed her eyes.

"Pyr?" He asked worriedly.

"Hush." She replied, her face growing sterner. That's when Jaune noticed the growing black aura around her hand. Jaune's eyes widened in realization, but before he could speak, the black light flowed from her fingertips, speeding across the metal frame of the ride. The black light flared just as their car crested the top, and the machine slowed. Metal groaned for a moment, and the ride stopped entirely.

"Pyrrha." He groaned through clenched teeth.

"Just until your stomach settles. Honestly, Jaune, your wellbeing is more important to me than a ride." She sounded more than a little mad at him. He wanted to complain, but he was too busy reveling in his eased stomach. Pyrrha's hand was still wrapped around the railing, so he instead inched closer to her.

"I'm sorry, Pyrrha. I didn't want to get in the way." In a move he learned from Ruby and his little sisters, he turned on the puppy eyes. Pyrrha kept her eyes focused on the rail, watching her semblance, but he could see her eyes dart to him more than once. "I just wanted to make sure you had a good night." He slid closer, resting _his_ head on her shoulder. He could feel her relax.

"Just promise me you won't do it again." She said sternly, free hand playing with his hair.

"Promise, Arc's honor." He rested a hand on her knee for support, and pushed towards her. She giggled at his forwardness, and their lips met happily. He felt her other hand wrap around him, and he turned to get into a more comfortable position. He let out a surprised squeak when he felt a tongue slide across his lips, but he wasn't about to say no.

Her hands gripped in his hair, his own slid down smooth skin, Pyrrha leaned back as he moved forward. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, and feel Pyrrha's under his palms. To his infinite torture, she pulled back.

"Mmm, Jaune." The concern in her voice stopped him, despite his own wishes. He looked to her, noticing her eyes focused below them. "Why are we not moving?"

Jaune stared at her in confusion. "Your sembl-" then he noticed the telltale black glow was gone from the metal of the Ferris Wheel.

The crackle of a megaphone sounded below. "Sorry folks, we've got an electrical error! Engine's on the fritz, but we'll have you down in a jiffy!"

Pyrrha stiffened at the words, and she hissed over the edge, loud enough only for him to hear.

"I'm sorry!"


	21. Bad Luck's Charm

**A/N:** Welcome back, everyone, and welcome to November as well! We'll be wrapping the brief Patch visit shortly, and then returning to Vale. Upon the conclusion of the Vale Arc, I'm planning on releasing another interlude chapter as well, so be aware of that in thew works. If any of you are still looking for something dark from our Halloween season, I highly recommend Constable Paperbag's "The Mind's Eye": it is tremendous.

Anyway, thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter twenty-one!

* * *

Early morning light filled the small field Pyrrha and Ruby stood in, the sounds of a world just beginning to wake rising around them. Pyrrha herself was still halfway in a fog, but her morning tea and the brisk walk the two friends had taken loosened most of the night from her mind. Today was JNPR's last full day in Patch, and while the last week had been an enjoyable decision, JNPR could not put off their true goal. Nor could she put off her last task in Patch.

She hesitated at the field's edge, but Ruby continued on undaunted. The younger girl paused a few steps ahead, noting Pyrrha had stayed behind, but didn't try and bring her forward. Pyrrha watched as Ruby stopped before the two stones, leaves and the breeze washing away any hint of her words. Pyrrha fiddled with her bag, considered what she wanted to say and how she was going to say it: just about anything to avoid _actually_ crossing that field.

Ruby stepped back from her spot after some time, turning back to Pyrrha and waving her over. _"It's now or never, Pyrrha. Get out there, and do it."_ Her will hardened, and Pyrrha strode through the grass to Ruby. The grey stones were well-kept, though they lacked the traditional spaces she was sued to in Mistral. One stone bore a Rose, to which Pyrrha bowed respectfully, while the other featured a strange wing and cog. The inscription, "Beneath my wing, shade not shadow", still shined bright and sharp in the newly carved stone. She kneeled before the grave.

"Hello, Mr. Branwen." Ruby snorted lightly then, and Pyrrha recalled the man's brusque nature. _"He probably hated misters."_ Ruby stepped away though, giving Pyrrha the same privacy her fretting had given to Ruby.

She opened her mouth to start again, but she instead sat down her bag, drawing out the incense she brought to Patch for precisely this. Again, she distracted herself from her task, trying to get them to sit just right before the stone, but eventually she found herself without any more to do but… talk.

"My team and I are returning to Vale, soon. We're going to see Professor Goodwitch and help with the reclamation. It… it wasn't what you and the Headmaster had in mind when you offered me my powers, but I suppose nothing's quite gone to plan." She felt some guilt at the last, she didn't want to sound as if she was criticizing him.

"I've always believed it was my destiny to be a huntress, to protect people. What you asked me to do, I thought it was what I was meant to be, and maybe it still is.

"But, but I don't think I was meant to be that _then_. I thought I had to save the world that very moment, that I was meant to be the hero _that_ day, but I was wrong. I think, I think that day was _your_ moment. And Ruby's. And maybe Jaune's, if only just for me…

"Had I gone up that tower, I would have died. Cinder would have gained the Maiden's Powers, and all your struggles would have been for nothing. I didn't though, and one day I'll be strong enough to defeat her. Strong enough to take back the Maiden's Powers and turn them to helping others, to protecting the world.

"To what you wanted me to do with them.

"I don't know what will come next, Qrow Branwen, but I know what I will do: I'll strive to be a woman deserving of the trust you and Ozpin placed in me, and deserving of the chance your sacrifices secured. I will reach my destiny.

"Thank you." She bowed once more over her knees, and rose to join Ruby. Her friend's shoulders hitched, and Pyrrha saw the younger girl was crying. She stepped closer, wrapping Ruby in a hug instinctively.

"I miss him, Pyrrha. I miss him so much." The girl whimpered into her side.

She wasn't Jaune, she didn't know what to say to Ruby, but she would be there for her nonetheless.

* * *

RWBY and JNPR were gathered outside the cabin, going through their stretches and warm up exercises before their last group training session. JNPR had finished going through the calisthenics plan Pyr had assembled for them, while Team RWBY were closing their own prep routine. Yang's own options were limited, but she still joined her sister and partner for the exercises, even if she would only watch and critique the actual spars.

He felt cool in the crisp autumn air, the sun standing high above bare trees barely warming them, but Jaune was used to colder back home: it'd be nice once they really got going, anyway. He and Ren were setting up the long-range targets for Pyrrha and Ruby, while Nora was handling what weights they had available for strength training. Pyrrha chatted amicably with the sister team in their sparring circle, waiting for the others to join them.

As Ren and he returned to them, targets firmly secured to distant branches, an oddity stood out to Jaune. He had never been great at noticing details, his luck with girls pretty much epitomized that, but he still noticed _some_. And for reasons he didn't understand, he couldn't ignore how frizzy Yang's hair seemed.

His fellow blonde loved her hair like Ruby loved her weapon: she'd killed Grimm mercilessly, well more mercilessly, for damaging it, and their classmates had quickly learned it was off limits in spars. Yang had apparently called in sick the last time she'd had a bad hair day. She just didn't let it get like that.

"I don't get it, we didn't _do_ anything!" Yang bemoaned, eyes scanning her wayward hair. If anything, the frazzled state had grown worse since Jaune had noticed on his approach, and nothing nearby should've caused this. Eyes sweeping between his friends in confusion and worry, Jaune noticed another oddity: Pyrrha's hair was starting to stand on end as well. It wasn't nearly as noticeable, Yang's hair was a massive thing even compared to Pyrrha's, but he could see it now.

The gears ground in his head, and lightning struck Jaune's brain. "Pyrrha!" All four girls jumped at his shout, but he stepped up to his partner, taking hold of her.

"Pyrrha! I think it's _you!_ " They stared at him dumbly. "Your semblance, don't you remember from our spar?" It finally clicked in Pyrrha's head. Her face lit in surprise, then curiosity as she held her hands up before her face for inspection, eyeing them as if she'd never seen them before.

"How is _Pyrrha_ messing with my hair?" Yang asked confusedly. There was a beat, before she added "Can you stop it, Cereal Girl? Not cool." Pyrrha suddenly became very aware of the fact she was tampering with a friend's dearest feature, and looked abashed.

"Sorry, let me just…" His partner trailed off, staring at nothing. Her face hardened, eyes screwing shut in concentration. Yang's ministrations were starting to show results, the static subsiding under her care: Pyrrha's focus did not let up, however. She withdrew a few steps away from everyone as Nora returned to the group, focus not breaking.

"Pyrrha?" He asked nervously. He's seen her like this a few times, working on her powers, but something about her stance left his hairs on end. He was expecting Pyrrha's black light to burst around her and every piece of metal for fifty yards, maybe to hear the crackling of static.

He _wasn't_ ready for electricity to arc between her hands.

Pyrrha's eyes opened, they were glassy and dazed, and none of them spoke.

Months ago, it had been the faintest spark, no more than what would jump from your finger to a piece of laundry out of the dryer. Now, it was a bolt as thick as a finger, even if it only lasted a moment. Jaune's mind was still racing, considering what this meant, but Pyrrha broke the silence first.

"Oh my." She whispered, staring at her hands. She focused again, and Jaune felt the hairs across his entire body rise at the sight. Once again, a thick cord of electricity bounced between her palms.

"Pyrrha," he began again worriedly, "are you sure it's safe?" Pyrrha finally looked back to her staring friends, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"I believe I have a hand on this." She looked back to her hands, focused on the dark gloves.

"Hey Nora, come over." Jaune waved his teammate to him, moving toward Pyrrha. Nora followed easily enough, and her twinkling eyes made him think she figured it out, too. Pyrrha probably would have worked it out as well, but was too distracted by her newfound ability. "Pyr, I want you to hit Nora with one of those." He pointed down to Pyrrha's hand.

"What?" Ruby asked with an edge of panic.

"Nora's semblance, Ruby." Ren reminded her calmly.

"Oh, yeah. Forgot about that." Jaune didn't blame her, they'd only used it in one fight. It wasn't easy for them to employ the semblance either, aside from getting electricity dust. Pyrrha had some cash, but that much dust was expensive!

"Nora, Pyrrha, think you can do this?" The two redheads exchanged a look, then nodded in affirmation. "Alright, then let's", he scooted Nora forward while stepping back, "try this out."

Pyrrha positioned her hands on either side of Nora's, fingers closing just a tad as she closed her eyes and focused inward. The rest of them gathered in a ring, with some distance of course, to watch the experiment from a safe distance. Jaune watched the space between their palms, praying for something to happen. A quick flash came from the space, even if he missed the actual moment.

Pink-white light flickering up and down her body, Nora stepped back. "This. feels. AWESOME!" She shouted! Jaune hopped a bit in excitement, his mind still spinning out tactical and strategic applications of this. Pyrrha was giddy, one of her beautiful smiles breaking free, but none of them match Nora's excitement as she dashed back to Magnhild.

"It worked, it worked, it worked! Pyrrha, shields up!" Pyrrha deployed and raised her shield on instinct, not even thinking why she was asked. It didn't _really_ click for any of them, until Nora shouted: "Fore!"

Jaune took a step, reaching out a hand, but Magnhild was already colliding into Akouo with a thunderous clang. Nora's underhand swing rocketed Pyrrha into the air, her hair and sash rippling trails of red as she rose into the air.

Many, many, _many_ training sessions and spars with Nora had resulted in Jaune or Pyrrha on such a flight, and he felt a sympathetic twinge shoot down his arm and shoulders while the ring of the strike still hung in the air. The memories of pain didn't stop Jaune from noticing that Nora had launched their teammate with far more force than normal. She'd normally needed the fire a grenade for so much hitting power, but her semblance had successfully converted Pyrrha's bolt

But more importantly, none of them heard Pyrrha land from the clash of hammer and shield. The collection of friends turned their heads up, to see Pyrrha floating mid-air; a black glow surrounded her armor, armbands, her whole body.

Nora saluted Pyrrha, hovering a good twenty feet in the air: "Great save, Pyrrha!" Pyrrha hesitantly waved back. "Ya got any control up there?" Pyrrha would use her semblance in a similar way to slow or speed herself, but she'd never done something like this before!

"I think I do." Pyrrha called down to them, before she began to glide in widening circles, coming lower every turn. She eventually touched down, not very far from where she had been abruptly launched, and Nora erupted into applause, soon joined by Jaune and Ruby. Pyrrha beamed at all of them, pleased with her latest feat.

"Nice flying, Cereal Girl!" Yang cheered with a smile. "All that extra training you and your leader have been pulling really has paid off; I figured you and Jaune were just going off to suck face! Ack, it was a joke, Rubes!" Ruby was swatting at her sister while he and Pyrrha blushed at the tease. Their brief immunity to the jokes having faded under the barrage of good-natured but off-color humor that was Yang Xiao Long.

"No more of that, time for training!" Ruby said, ceasing her ineffectual pummeling of Yang. "And new rule: Pyrrha?" His partner looked up from her boots to Ruby.

"No super powers during training." Ruby said in her sternest voice, "It give you an unfair advantage."

"Says the sniper when the leaves are down." Jaune groused.

"That's not even _remotely_ equivalent, Jaune." Blake countered.

"All I'm saying is that we should use the advantages our teams have!"

"Pyrrha has literally mythical powers!" Ruby whined, jabbing a finger at him.

Pyrrha stepped between him and his fellow leader, hands held up in appeal. "I won't use my powers, Ruby, but I can't reign in my semblance." Ruby fired one more pout Jaune's way, and Pyrrha sent him a look that he could best translate as _'do this my way, dear"_ , and both nodded in sullen acceptance.

* * *

She was in the tank again.

Ozpin was outside of it, watching with fearful eyes, and Jaune stood watch at the foot of the platform. The machine reached a crescendo, and a pain beyond anything she had ever felt arced across her entire body. She screamed, but not because of that pain: she screamed as she remembered watching evil golden eyes as her very soul was sundered from her body. Screamed as she watched a beast from nightmare tear at her being. Screamed as men she trusted did the same, with the best of intentions. Someone else's voice bubbled to the surface.

" _WHY?"_

As Pyrrha's eyes fired open, evil golden orbs and resigned brown eyes disappeared, replaced with a dark wooden ceiling. Nora's snoring continued on, letting her know she hadn't been shouting in her sleep. She sat up on the air mattress, peeking over to Nora. The smaller girl was curled up in a ball, both Nora's pillow and her own clutched to her friend's chest. She slid off the mattress, running her hands through her hair, trying to ease out any snags.

Over on the bed, Ren continued to sleep peacefully, but Jaune was up, watching her. She nodded towards the door, quietly making her way out of it. Jaune joined her in a moment, closing the door behind him.

"You alright, Pyrrha?" He whispered.

"Just a bad dream. Why are you up?" She wanted to calm a bit before she discussed it.

"Eh, I haven't been able to sleep: too worried, I guess." He chuckled, and she recalled clearly his nerves before the first day of the Tournament. She took hold of Jaune's hand then, and lead him towards the stairs.

The two crept past RWBY's room and snuck down the stairs, settling onto the couch in the living room. She eyed down the hall, towards Taiyang's room, but figured so long as they left the television off there wouldn't be too much noise.

Jaune fetched a blanket for them, sitting beside her, wrapping his arm across her shoulders. She leaned into him, and the two simply relaxed in the quiet for a time.

"I'm worried about going back, you know." Jaune finally said, his voice barely carrying past her. She nodded against him, waiting for him to go on.

"It's not the same as at the Breach, or at the Attack, but I'm worried. It's turning my stomach just thinking about it, Pyr; I _know_ that something's going to go wrong." Jaune's instincts had been a powerful ally of the team, she knew to take this seriously. She leaned her head on his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of both of their body's relaxing at the contact.

"We're going to be together in Vale, won't we? Team JNPR?" She felt him nod against her head. "Then we'll be alright, Jaune. You've every right to worry, I'm not telling you to stop, but we'll have each other's backs. That's what a team does, that what family does." She snuggled into him to emphasize her presence, and Pyrrha once again was reminded she enjoyed the physicality of the Arc family.

"Grimm, White Fang, secret plots, my mother," Jaune snickered at the last, "we'll be able to face them together, as a team, Jaune." He hugged her tighter before falling onto his side on the couch, pulling her along and drawing a quiet laugh from her. He hugged her even tighter even as she elbowed him lightly to make room for her. She was half on his chest, half in the crook of the couch, but she felt cozy despite the small quarters.

"Thanks, Pyrrha." He whispered, chin resting lightly on her head.

"Anytime, Jaune." She mumbled into his chest.

"Want to talk about your dream?" He voice was gentle, knowing it wasn't something she enjoyed discussing. She tightened her grip on his shirt for a moment, but then relaxed again, taking a steadying breath.

"It started in the machine in Beacon, with you and Ozpin outside. When the transfer started, Amber's last memories took over…"

She recounted the nightmare to him, his hand gently running through her hair as she recalled Amber's terrified last moments on that nameless road and again beneath Beacon. The fear and betrayal and helplessness. Jaune didn't complain when she stopped to dry her eyes on his shirt, didn't try and tell her that was someone else, and she should forget those feelings. He held her close, offering a shoulder to take up as much of her burden as she would give. He would be there for her.

She barely noticed as her eyes drifted shut. This time, her dream were simple, pleasant things, easily left behind.

She felt her bed, which was decidedly warmer than she recalled, shift unnaturally beneath her, and Pyrrha's eyes fluttered awake to spy Jaune's chest. She was curled up against his side on the couch, right where they had dropped.

" _Do we have to get up?"_ She whined in her head.

"You probably should before Yang and Nora see you."

Blake's smug voice drew her attention from Jaune's stomach. Her friend was crouched in front of them, scroll held in front of her as she obviously made a recording or took pictures. Pyrrha looked up to Jaune, who had also been watching Blake, to see his face go sheet white.

"Did I say that aloud?" She asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Yup." Blake replied, popping the 'p' slightly.

"Would you delete those?" She hopelessly inquired.

"Nope." Pyrrha buried her head in Jaune's side, and hoped it would help restart the day.

* * *

 **Post:** Ah, I love having Blake back. I'll miss her again. See y'all 'round.


	22. Smooth Sailing

**A/N:** Aaaaaannnd we're back! Sorry about the delay, folks; that incorrigible ass we call life caught up with me for a brief time. Thankfully, I've given it the slip again, and can once more write! The holidays are approaching, but I'll try and build up a set of chapters to release in case family takes up time. Oh, I just started reading Solora Goldsun's "Once in a Shattered Moon", and it's wonderful.

Enough of that, though: thank you for reading, and pleas enjoy chapter twenty-two!

* * *

One last breakfast with Tai and Team RWBY, which Pyrrha spent most of trying to convince Blake to delete the photos of them sleeping on the couch without letting any of their friends know about them, and the whole group was off for the Patch docks. Jaune followed from the rear with Ren and Tai, while Blake and Pyrrha were dragged this way and that by the other girls.

Judging from their occasional whispered conversation, Pyr still hadn't gotten the blackmail material destroyed. Jaune himself wasn't too worried, though; embarrassing as it was, he trusted Blake to not do anything malicious. He was content to just relax and enjoy the show.

He felt eyes on him then, and twisted to see Ren suppressing a smirk, Tai grinning broadly. "What?" he asked defensively. Ren simply shook his head, while Tai's smile grew fonder.

"Ah, don't sweat it kid; you and your partner just remind me of some people." Before Jaune could ask what he meant by that, Tai began again. "I may be joining you kids in Vale soon. At least, maybe a trip now and then to help out." That caught them off guard, and Tai chuckled at their confusion. "Got a message from Glynda this morning: Yang should expect a package from Atlas in a couple months. Once Ruby's done disassembling it fifty times and Yang can hook it up, I think they could loan me out to the city every once in a while." He was watching his daughters now, that same distant, content look to his face.

"It would be a pleasure to see you in action, Tai." Ren added politely. "Ruby and Yang have mentioned some of your exploits before you became a teacher."

"Yup, I was quite the Tai-tan." Jaune bit his tongue to stop any groans, and he thought Ren did the same.

"Oh yeah, this is Yang's dad." When neither boy acknowledged the joke, Tai grumbled about kids not having a good sense of humor, and then starting asking Ren for some of his more applauded recipes. Jaune didn't miss the gleam in his brother's eye, and the two men spent the remainder of the walk swapping meal ideas. Jaune went back to watching Pyrrha.

Rather than the airfield where they had arrived in Patch, they made their way to the naval docks, where one of Patch's regular ferries would carry JNPR back to the city. The very thought of being on the water turned Jaune's stomach, but he couldn't hope for roads everywhere he needed to go. The great green and white beast was already pulled up, a long line of people waiting to get on. "Plenty of normal looking folks: I suppose Vale has calmed down a lot since we left." Tai was nice enough to cover their tickets, despite their attempts to do it themselves.

"Nope! You all took care of my girls, I want to return the favor a bit." He chivvied the four of them to the line, and JNPR just had to accept one more kindness from the man. But then Jaune and his team were confronted with another round of goodbyes. Nora and Ruby were weeping in a crushing embrace like it was a funeral, while Blake and Ren watched from the side, shaking their heads in sync. Yang slapped him on the back, snatching his attention back.

"Been great seeing you guys again, kick some ass for me, alright?" She was smirking, and Jaune pretended to not see the tears. He took a hold of her, feeling her hand on his back and the remainder of her arm on his shoulder. "Stay safe." She whispered.

"We'll be fine, Yang. Take care of yourself, okay?" Yang nodded against his shoulder, before stepping aside, moving to Ren. The fearful look in Ren's eyes made it clear he had no doubt Yang's hugs would be any less crushing one-armed. Ruby stepped away from Pyrrha and toward him, holding out another sealed letter.

"Sorry, Jaune, I got another one." She said sheepishly, but Jaune took the letter, settling it with the others in his pocket.

"It's not a problem, Ruby. I could just get her to call you, you know?" She shook her head.

"It's all about the presentation, Jaune: Weiss taught me that!" She glomped onto him then, and Jaune couldn't help but mess with her hair. A tiny fist buried itself in his kidney, and Jaune bent over dramatically. He clutched his side, falling to a knee making cheesy death noises. "Jaauune!" Ruby whined, while the rest of the gang snorted.

"We really need to work on your hand-to-hand, Rubes." Yang sniggered.

Shocking everyone, Blake hugged Pyrrha: she initiated and everything! Pyrrha was a little taken off-guard herself, but was quick to return the gesture.

Tai clapped a hand on Jaune's shoulder before pushing something into his hands. "Here ya go, kid. Qrow used something different, but I think this should settle your stomach."

"Ginger ale?" He studied the can as if it were one of Nora's grenades, but Tai nodded reassuringly. "I'll give it a try?" Armed with his drink and with his team at his back, Jaune boarded the ship for Vale.

/

"I just, I just don't understand how I never knew about it, Pyr." Jaune murmured in a shocked voice. Pyrrha rubbed circles in his back as the ship rocked, while her boyfriend continued to stare at the can clutched between his hands.

"Well, the important part is we know now." They'd been on the water for an hour, and Jaune hadn't been sick once. Ren, Nora, and she were all pleasantly surprise, but Jaune seemed shaken to his core. She could understand it was a serious change for him, of course, but still.

"This changes everything, Pyrrha. There's so many opportunities! I can fly all the time! I don't need to carry mouthwash everywhere! Or mints!"

"I'd like it if you kept the mints, actually." He locked up, twisting slowly towards her. She let a coy smile flash, and Jaune returned it with a flustered smile of his own. Jaune scooted a bit closer, while she did a quick sweep to see if there was anyone else in their segment of the deck. The ship's motions were lesser in the back, but it was colder, so the two found themselves alone. "Should we be worried about Ren and Nora?" It was usually a bad idea to leave Nora unattended anywhere.

Jaune's arms snaked around her waist boldly, and part of Pyrrha was quite pleased with his confidence. "They'll be fine, Pyr. Ren watched Nora for years, they can spare us for a while." The couple slid closer together, and Pyrrha's belief that Beacon was the best choice she'd ever made was wholly reaffirmed.

…

Nora and Ren had the grace to not comment on Jaune keeping his hood up or Pyrrha having the collar of her coat upturned when the four of them finally arrived in Vale, offloading onto the crowded passenger docks of Vale.

Their fellow passengers mulled about, as did the line of people that would soon replace them on the Patch-bound vessel, but the docks were an ocean of humanity. Soldiers bustled in units all around while others stood on guard. Dock workers and vehicles carrying light cargo surrounded them, and Pyrrha could see the flashes of color that marked their fellow Hunters.

Breaking through the crowd, JNPR navigated to the nearest street before hailing down a cab. The driver was more than happy to tell the four students where the Beacon staff and Vale military had set up, and happily answered any questions they had.

"You kids signing on for their Hunter teams, then? Best of luck to ya: people are tired of looking up to the Cliffs and seeing that giant Grimm." The sight of the frozen dragon hanging from Beacon tower had sent shivers through her.

"What's Vale like, at the moment?" Ren asked the friendly cabbie. He hummed a moment, considering.

"Oh, most of south the river's safe now, and the power's back on in the north part of town since last week!

"Most of East Commerce is still a wreck, East End's swarming with Grimm. Closer to Beacon you get, the worse it is. There's been talk about sending folk up to Beacon, though: get the CCT operating."

"They'll probably want a secure route to Beacon before the move into it." Jaune mumbled, his eyes distant as he no doubt ran through strategies. "It makes supply easier if they don't have to rely solely on airships…"

…

The hectic collection of tents Beacon had gathered in after the Attack was gone. Instead, the effort to take back the academy had moved into a collection of office buildings, with students and soldiers alike in nearby barracks. The tents were still around, or course, but they were neatly ordered and seemed far less crowded. A soldier posted at the encampment's entrance was able to direct them to where the Headmistress had her office, and JNPR made their way into a nondescript building.

After a brief wait for the secretary to be sure Professor Goodwitch could see them, Pyrrha and her team were ushered into an office nearly identical to the one in Beacon. Where there were not bookshelves, there were instead photos: dozens, if not hundreds, of teams of Hunters posed for the camera. Pyrrha had never been able to study the pictures, she'd never been in enough trouble to spend very long in Goodwitch's office, but she had no doubt they were students the older woman had taught.

A large wooden desk was filled to the brim with papers stacked so neatly, that Pyrrha was certain they aligned on a molecular level. A single overstuffed chair rested behind the stacks, occupied by the room's owner, while a pair of simpler seats remained on the other side, and a row of wooden stools sat along the wall. But behind that stack of papers was the professor. "The Headmistress", Pyrrha mentally corrected. The room felt comforting, with the large chairs and thick carpet and wall of papers, yet also intimidating. Or perhaps the intimidation was simply the Headmistress?

Pyrrha could remember the edge of worry in Glynda Goodwitch's voice when they spoke, just days after the Attack. She could see the lines carved onto the woman's face by exhaustion and stress just by settling the students. These past months had not been kind. Glynda Goodwitch had been giving Vale her all, sacrificing everything she could to see to the security of the people while JNPR went on vacation.

"Perhaps not 'vacation'…" Pyrrha admitted, recalling nights waking up screaming and moments of unwanted memory. "No, certainly not a vacation, but nothing to compare to what the Headmistress faced." Yet for all that, the professor smiled for her students, rising from behind the mountain of paper.

"It's good to see you all again. Please, have a seat." She gestured to the chairs and stools. Pyrrha briefly considered whether the four of them could just take the chairs, but decided the look they'd receive would not be worth it. Instead, Pyrrha reached out for the stools and speedily levitated them beneath her friends; Nora was sitting down before it was even there. The team barely registered the mild surprise on the teacher's otherwise stern face.

"I see you've come quite far with your semblance, Miss Nikos." Goodwitch said, voice a hair curious. Pyrrha flushed a little: she'd been pushing her semblance with things like that for some weeks now, but the professor was used to Pyrrha being circumspect with it. The Headmistress didn't dwell on it, thankfully.

"I would like to thank you all again, for your decision to return to Vale. The situation has improved considerably since you left some months ago, but we have yet to recall the students.

"Of course, Team JNPR has extenuating circumstances." Glynda paused meaningfully then, waiting for Pyrrha. She cleared her throat quietly before beginning.

"I first noticed a change the week after we departed: I mistook what turned out to be Amber's memories for nightmares. Soon after, signs of the powers began to manifest themselves. At the moment, they appear to have expanded the limits of my semblance, as well as given me some tangential abilities: I can manipulate objects with trace metals as well as non-metals I've touched, I can generate electrical charges to a degree, and my semblance's general strength has increased as well. We've been attempting to hone my new skills and push those expanded boundaries as well." Goodwitch was nodding along, weary eyes still sharp.

"We don't really know what the plan it," Jaune offered from next to her, "but we'd like to help. We think getting into real fights could help Pyrrha test her powers as well! Plus, you may know more about what Pyrrha might be able to do." The Headmistress shook her head regretfully, however.

"I agree that letting Miss Nikos test herself in Vale would be useful, as well as keeping her nearby, but I'm afraid I can't help in regards to what her powers will become. The Headmaster and Qrow were more active in that field, while my duties were focused on and in Beacon. The other headmasters are both in situations similar to mine, as well." Goodwitch stopped, clearly considering something, and Pyrrha felt a flash of fear at the idea of secrets even greater than the Maidens.

"We may be able to gather more help in the near future, but until the situations in Mistral and Atlas calm, it would be wise to remain in Vale." News of her home piqued Pyrrha's attention though.

"Is there something happening to Mistral?" Her mother had made mention of some troubles as well, had she not?

"I'm afraid they're dealing with a good deal of Grimm, at the moment." Glynda answered gravely. "We don't have any hard details, communication is still difficult, but what we have heard indicates a great deal of Grimm: reports from Mistral though, not Haven. Lionheart's silence is worrying…" The professor briefly shook herself, refocusing from her papers onto them.

"That shouldn't be of concern to you, I apologize. No, your efforts - our efforts -, will focus on securing the eastern portions of Vale. I'll add your team to the Beacon duty roster, and you'll receive notification of where and when to report for missions. I can also find bunks for you in the student areas if you need it?" Pyrrha shook her head briefly.

"Thank you, Professor Goodwitch, but we have a place in the city: my mother is in Vale, and we intend to stay with her."

Jaune leaned forward then, drawing the professor's focus. "Professor? Is Winter Schnee still in Vale?"

"She is, do you need to see her?" Jaune nodded briefly, and the teacher took up her scroll, typing quickly. "Someone will meet you downstairs and take you to her."

"Thanks, Professor." Jaune said, weakly. "We heard some of the details on Vale earlier, but can you brief us? I'd like to be more familiar with the situation." Jaune's request brought a smile to the older woman's worn face. Drawing forth a map and scouting reports, Pyrrha watched as the strained Huntress eased into the lecturer's role, while her admittedly goofy partner resumed a leader's mantle with ease.

"It's good to be back."

/

When JNPR finally stepped out of Beacon's base of operations, Jaune felt full enough of information to take on the world.

Which was probably why the headlock took him by such surprise. Instinct drilled into Jaune responded, his leg kicking out to knock his assailant off balance, but it only resulted in him crashing onto his opponent, a loud "Oof" coming from below him.

"I give, I give…" he heard Blanche wheeze. Jaune hopped up, dragging Blanche to her feet with him before throwing his arms around her. His older sister took a crushing grip before lifting him off his feet, swinging him a bit in the hug.

"Great to see you, Blanche!" He choked out in her iron grasp, trying to crush back. Pyrrha's beautiful laugh drew the two Arcs from their greeting, and Blanche dropped Jaune back to his feet.

Pyrrha stepped forward, offering a hand to Blanche. "It's nice to see you again, Blanche, how have you been?" Blanche accepted the hand, then pulled Pyrrha into a light hug that his partner quickly returned. Nora took an uncompromising grip, while Ren managed to get away with just the handshake.

"Oh, I'm doing alright: good to see all of you. Apparently, I have to take you all to see a certain snooty Atlesian?" He felt his jaw go a little slack, and Blanche smirked at him. "Got a message from the Headmistress a while back, so let's get going." She took off, waving for them to follow.

A few hurrying strides, and JNPR had formed up around Blanche as she led the way down the street, away from the encampments outside the Beacon office.

"You've met Winter Schnee?" Pyrrha asked with not a little confusion, while Blanche just nodded along.

"Schnee is the Atlesian liaison officer to Beacon, and I'm the Valish liaison officer to Beacon, so we get to sit next to each other in meetings." His sister snorted loudly then, rolling her eyes to Pyrrha. "If Weiss Schnee is anything like the Specialist, I owe you for stealing Jaune away from her." Pyrrha's head whipped away, face turning bright red as she inspected her boots. Jaune laughed uncomfortably, also watching where he stepped, while his sister and Nora joined in a maniacal laugh. He felt a consoling hand pat him on the back.

"Sorry, sorry: I'll spare you two from here on out."

"Doesn't mean I will." Nora added sidelong, earning a snicker from Blanche.

"But do you mind if you guys explain what you're doing here? Last I heard, first years weren't being recalled to Vale?" The entire team began a collective sweat drop.

"Well, you see…" Jaune began before petering off, facing his team in panic.

"We were hoping to-" Pyrrha began, just as Nora overran her.

"The Headmistress-" Both cut off, then waved for the other to start.

"The Headmistress wanted to speak to Pyrrha about her account of the Attack, and Pyrrha's mother is in Vale. We decided to speak in person so Mrs. Nikos could see us." Ren's voice was as calm as ever, his smooth cover easing the tension from the rest of the team. Jaune did not sigh in relief when Blanche shrugged at the response.

"General Ironwood left for Atlas a few weeks ago, but he left Schnee and a few more of his people here until Vale is secure. Dad wants to meet up for dinner, by the way." Pyrrha coughed politely, then.

"My mother was hoping to have dinner with the team tonight, actually." Jaune suspected Mrs. Nikos was a little more insistent than that the other day: she hadn't seen Pyrrha or JNPR since semester break.

"Perfect then!" Blanche cheered. "Dad can meet your mom at the same time, I'll let him know."

Jaune noticed a collective shiver run through his entire team, though he wasn't sure why; all three sent him subtle shakes of their heads. Even Nora! She was never subtle!

"Actually, Blanche, I think it'd be better if-" his sister silenced him with a cutting hand, and from one step to another she transitioned from his sister strolling along the street with friends into a straight-backed soldier escorting visitors.

She strode up to a pair of soldiers standing guard outside another office, saluting as she presented her credentials. Nora made to talk, but the glare from Blanche silenced her. The Atlesian soldier made a brief inspection of Blanche's credentials, then waved them aside, calling through his comms that "L.O. Arc to see Specialist Schnee, plus four."

Striding through a small foyer, Blanche whispered to the team: "Sorry about that, they're real sticklers. Look, I'll catch you guys in the lobby, okay?" They all nodded, though Jaune was feeling a little overwhelmed by the stark atmosphere in the Atlesian office.

"Would they really be mad at you for just talking to us?" Blanche shrugged, though her arms remained at her side.

"Maybe not, since you're Hunters, but better safe than sorry." They came to a stop outside another guarded door, this one held by Atlesian Knights.

"Thanks for the help, Blanche." Jaune said, one last brief hug with his sister.

"Not a problem, little bro." She whispered, squeezing him tight. Blanche stepped back, winked at them, then spun on her heel before marching back. Leaving JNPR to face their next encounter.

* * *

 **Post:** I realized realized while writing this that I'm approaching the end of When a Plan Fails. It's not _imminent,_ but it is coming. As I said previously, I may continue it if V5 is cooperative, but the original endpoint in on the horizon! It's terrifying!


	23. Hold the Line

**A/N:** Aaaand we're back! Hello again, everyone, i hope you've had a pleasant November? I, at least, will be enjoying another round of games for Rivalry Week!

Thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter twenty-three!

* * *

Winter Schnee's office was sparse and intimidating: the walls bereft of decoration, the room featuring only two chairs separated by a single desk crowded with precisely stacked forms. Winter Schnee stood behind that desk, glaring across the room.

Pyrrha suddenly felt very small.

The four of them lined up, soldiers under review, and waited for the woman to acknowledge them.

"You would be Team JNPR, then?" They nodded nervously. "Which, in turn, would make you Jaune Arc." She could hear Jaune gulp. The woman waved for them to come closer, and the four approached in lock step. Winter Schnee's arms remained clasped behind her back, tired yet ice-cold eyes watching them, watching Jaune. "Going off my little sister's early letters from Beacon, I should set you straight. Harshly."

Pyrrha was reaching for her powers in an instant, a dark glow surrounding hands also held behind herself.

"However, her later letters convince me Weiss would be displeased at my threatening one of her friends, so I suppose I will spare you. I trust you will not… bother… my sister again?" A single brow arched as she watched him. Jaune nodded his head slowly. "Good. Now, why is it that you wish to see me?"

The four of them remained frozen. The imposing woman's eyebrow rose higher, and Pyrrha discreetly elbowed Jaune's side, to shake him from his paralyzed state. He jumped slightly at the contact, but soon was fumbling in his bag.

"O-our team is really close to Weiss', and we just spent a couple weeks in Patch with them." Jaune stood, gripping a set of letters in his hand. "Weiss' partner, Ruby, wanted me to give these to you. One's for you, but the others are for Weiss." He held them to her, trying to keep as much distance between himself and the terrifying woman as possible. Winter accepted them, efficiently but unhurriedly opening the letter addressed to her. She slid the remaining two letters into an unseen pocket.

"Ruby thought you'd be able to get her letters to Weiss. Securely." Jaune said, emphasizing the last to ensure the elder Schnee really understood.

 _"Without your father reading them."_

"Killing the messenger is also frowned upon." Winter muttered, her eyes skipping along the letter. No one had been privy to the details, but Pyrrha could recall Ruby spending a great deal of time perfecting her letter to Winter. Nora shuffled uneasily to her left, Jaune had broken out in a sweat to her right.

Ren was standing at ease, the tension of the room rolling over him. A clock set on the desk loudly ticked away in the quiet room as Winter read the missive.

The older woman stepped back behind her desk, rifling through a lower drawer for a moment before withdrawing a stoppered vial of dust. "Miss Rose failed to include her contact information: if she is within the kingdom, may I have it?" She poured a small amount of red dust onto the paper, which promptly caught fire.

 _"Oh dear, Ruby, what have you gotten yourself into?"_ Pyrrha fretted as she approached Winter with her scroll outstretched. The elder Schnee held her own scroll out, receiving Ruby's information as she swept the ashes of the letter into the nearby bin.

"This is certainly not how I expected this meeting to go, but if you will excuse me? Vale won't save itself, let alone Mistral." It was clearly a dismissal, and none of JNPR felt quite up to challenging it.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Specialist Schnee." Pyrrha added, withdrawing to the safety of her team.

"To you as well, Miss Nikos." And the woman finally smiled, if barely. The barest hint of warmth through the weary cold. "Best of luck to you."

Stepping out of the office, JNPR silently, quickly, made their way back to the lobby and the waiting Blanche. Her dark green and black was a shout of contrast surrounded by Atlas' white and greys. Her stern, military mask cracked a bit spotting them, but she maintained it as she escorted them back through the checkpoint and onto the streets. Once they were beyond earshot of the building, Blanche's posture shifted back to a woman, albeit a dangerous one, ambling down the road.

"It's kinda terrifying how fast you can do that." Nora said, with a bit of giggle in her words. Blanche smiled benevolently at them.

"You should see Dad do it: can shift his voice on a dime. Has my little Jaune started doing it yet? Pulled out a 'team leader' voice on you?" She tried to ruffle Jaune hair, which he once again dodged, and Pyrrha smiled at the sibling byplay.

"Yup!" Nora said, popping the word for all it's worth. Before Jaune could interject, Pyrrha fired in.

"I think it's quite impressive: the sign of a good leader." Jaune's suspicious glare at Nora turned into a pleased smile for her, which sent her stomach alight, as that smile always did. She was less than pleased at Blanche's eye roll, but the woman was trying to keep her word.

"So, where am I leading you all now? Have any other mysterious, apparently classified meetings I can lead you to?" Jaune shook his head rapidly, though.

"It's not like that, sis! We were just dropping off a letter!" Blanche didn't look convinced, however. Jaune hung his shoulders at her suspicion. "No, we were going to go meet with Pyrrha's mother next: we're staying with her."

"You've got a place in Vale?" Blanche asked, turning towards Pyrrha.

"Not quite: Mother is renting a house in the western edge of the Residential District. She told me in our last call that the team could stay there easily enough, so we decided to save Beacon some hassle."

It also kept JNPR separated from the elder teams, who may start questioning why a single set of first years were back, as Jaune had pointed out in their team meeting prior to accepting. She and Jaune had debated their accommodations, it was certainly not an argument, but she knew it was the right choice in the end.

"Alright, well let's get you guys a ride, then." The elder Arc declared, while Pyrrha braced herself for their next meeting.

* * *

Stepping through the door, Jaune was immediately greeted by a familiar voice. "Jaune, Ren, Nora, it's so good to see you!" Pyrrha's mother was upon them in an instant.

Thetis Nikos was not a tall woman, Marron was already her height, nor did she have Pyrrha's green eyes, but her hair was as brilliant a red as his girlfriend's. Retired, Thetis had lost most of a Huntress' build over the years, and the tremor in her grip when she took his hands made it clear she would not return to true active duty. Her hair was still swept to the side, covering the remaining scars of the injury which ended her career.

"It's wonderful to see you all again, of course! And Pyrrha!" The woman ushered them all in before sweeping by and taking hold of her daughter, clasping both hands over hers. "It's so wonderful to see you again, dear! I know we talked about it, but I was so worried!" The group made their way inside, settling down in the living room.

The house was well kept, but Jaune couldn't help but notice the lack of feeling it had. It made sense, this was a rental after all, but it still put him just a hair off balance. Thetis took a seat in the lone chair, while Nora dashed over to sprawl on the couch, plopping Ren down at the far end. Pyrrha and he took the loveseat, and he pretended that their sitting there wasn't some arcane scheme of Nora's. Instead of confronting those concerns, he took up a cracker and some cheese from the platter on the table.

"How are you all doing, how were Patch and those girls?" Thetis was leaning forward eagerly, watching Pyrrha and himself with a hawkish eye.

"Patch was pleasant, mother. Team RWBY are doing well, all things considered. Ruby and Yang actually took us out to a fair in Patchwork before we left, it was quite nice." Jaune remembered an out of the way section of a mirror maze and an hour stuck atop a Ferris Wheel, and suddenly found himself repressing a blush. Mrs. Nikos had focused in on Nora and Ren by then, thankfully.

"And how have you two been doing? I hope all this unpleasantness hasn't dimmed your demeanor, Nora?" Nora, feet across Ren's lap and head on a cushion, shook her head.

"No worries, Mrs. Nikos, nothing's gonna keep me down." She jutted a thumb towards Pyr and he. "And I'll keep them going too, if I gotta!" She flashed a winning smile, and Thetis laughed.

"Oh, I have missed you, Nora. Ren, I trust you're well?"

Ren nodded, hand resting atop Nora's ankles as if it were perfectly normal. _"For Ren, it is…"_

"Of course, ma'am, thank you."

The older woman leaned back into her chair, relaxing. "Dear, what brings all of you to Vale? Surely not just me."

"Headmistress Goodwitch wanted to speak with us about the events of the Fall." Pyrrha said easily, also settling back in her seat. Jaune smirked a bit, seeing them unconsciously take the same pose: legs crossed and stretched forward, open hands atop each other.

"We also managed to convince the Headmistress to allow us to stay and help with Vale, if we can." Ren continued, taking up their cover. "Vale's much safer, as you know, and Goodwitch trusted our team to be safer than the others." In spite of his own weaknesses, Jaune knew JNPR were considered one of the best first year teams in Beacon, arguably the best with RWBY in its current state.

"I'm sure you all will be careful, but I've no doubt JNPR can handle whatever comes their way." Thetis declared with utter conviction, to which Nora agreed with a short whoop. Jaune laughed a bit, so did Pyrrha, and he leaned back in his cushion beside her.

The talk grew mundane for a while: how Thetis was settling in, what Bar had been like. Easy, relaxing talk after long mornings of travel and work. Pyrrha had seemed nervous on the ride over, but now, while Nora regaled Thetis with stories of his family, she had relaxed against his side, all tension relieved. Ren cleared his throat before Nora could detail a marksmanship lesson with Verte he did not remember.

"May I ask what led to your decision to come to Vale, Thetis?" Ren asked. The older woman hummed a moment, then held up a trembling hand.

"I may not be a reliable shot anymore, Ren, but I still have eyes. I can still hold a spear in a pinch, as well. Will I be picking off Creeps from a moving bullhead? No, but I can help, even if it's only a patrol. I'll not be left aside, I'll tell you!" She brought the hand back down then, letting out a small sigh.

"Though, if some of the rumors are to be believed, Mistral could have used some extra hands as of late." He felt Pyrrha stiffen against his side, but Mrs. Nikos made a calming gesture to her daughter. "Nothing Mistral can't handle, dear. Simply more than expected, that's all." Pyrrha and her mother exchanged glances, but his partner eventually settled back against him.

"What about your training? I hope you've kept up your regimen." Mrs. Nikos was watching them again, like his own mother had when she thought he'd been up to something. It was unnerving. He felt the need to make sure he hadn't hidden his sister's toys anywhere.

"Yes, Mother: Jaune and I even increased our normal training time by nearly double." It wasn't exactly a lie, as they'd been told to stay quiet on Pyrrha's powers.

"You have? I do hope you haven't been pushing Jaune too far." She faced him briefly, "You're a wonderful young man, Jaune, but I'm sure you understand more than anyone the level of skill Pyrrha has reached." He mildly agreed. Pyrrha was amazing, and he understood Thetis might be worried the skill gap would be detrimental for training. He felt Pyrrha's grip tighten on his though. When had she taken his hand?

"Jaune has grown tremendously, mother, and he's been an exceptional help to me. I wouldn't have anyone other than Jaune." Jaune smiled at the sentiment, but then he noticed Pyrrha's expression: why her interview smile?

Thetis was quiet for a moment longer than what seemed necessary, then she let out a quiet chuckle, pushing herself out of the chair. "Well, you don't need me pestering you every moment, dear. Let's get all of your things to your rooms, yes?" The five of them made their way back to the hall, Pyrrha not releasing his hand and Nora assembling a small tower from the cheese plate.

Their rooms were on the right side of the house, two small bedrooms and an adjoined bathroom. The spaces were narrow, but that was just the limits of Vale, nothing looked bad. Jaune dropped his tight-packed bags and settled his guitar more carefully before he crashed down on his bed, confirming it was in fact much nicer than his mattress at school or home.

"I'll be on shift for most of the afternoon, dear, so I'll meet you there for dinner, alright?" Jaune heard Thetis informing the girls in the other room, while Ren touched down on his own bed. The planning reminded him of his father, though, and Jaune rose from his place.

"Mrs. Nikos?" Jaune called as he recovered Ren's dress shirt. Ren himself was setting out the ironing board.

"You can still call me Thetis, Jaune." The woman responded, rounding the corner and resting on the doorframe.

"My father is in town as well, and he was hoping to have dinner with my team…" Thetis had invited them a few days ago, and he felt bad about intruding with a plus one.

"No worries, Jaune: another chaperone to keep an eye on you kids is hardly the end of the world. Let him know he can come along, I'll pass along the address to you."

"Thanks, Thetis."

The older woman drifted off, then, leaving the two boys to prepare in peace.

Or at least, he thought in peace. Pyrrha rounded the corner not a minute later, heeled boots landing with more force than normal for her. Looking up to her, no anger was plain on her face, but her eyes told a different story.

"Jaune, what are you planning on wearing?" She asked without preamble. He hadn't really thought about it, just gone looking for an outfit.

"I wasn't sure…" He suspected Pyrrha had something in mind already. Sure enough, she crouched down next to the bags, helping him sort through.

"May I?" He nodded his assent. The bag was quickly emptied, his clothes laid out on the bed as Pyrrha studied the clothes. "I think that turtleneck… maybe this? No, no. And these pants, the jacket too…" She was turning through the admittedly limited set of clothes with a thoughtful expression, and he found himself grinning ear to ear; Pyrrha had a plan in mind, and she was making sure it went off without a hitch. He always felt like he just winged it, but she was always so thoughtful in her action, always considering the results. His mood dimmed, though: _"Always, except once..."_

He suppressed the glum feeling, reminding himself that moment had led to all of this. A little bit of pain for them gave them a lot of joy.

She laid out what she thought was right, then flushed a tad. "Oh, I'm sorry Jaune, I didn't ask if-" he cut her off with a light peck.

"I trust you, Pyr, you know that." A grin close to his own flashed back, and she returned to sort out her own clothes.


	24. Gone to the Dogs Dinner

**A/N:** Ugh, we're back. Sick as a dog right now, so I'm afraid my 'witty' banter will be down a little in the A/N. Welcome to December folks, I hope it'll treat you better than it has me! I recently converted my story "Masquerades" from a one-shot to a brief series as well, and new chapter will probably crop up for them in the near future. Nothing nearly as long as WPF, but still.

Thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter twenty-four.

* * *

Were it not for several years of extensive PR experience, Pyrrha was quite sure she would have gone into a rage sometime after her mother had left. Instead, she had repressed outward displays of anger and redirected it towards preparing for the evening meal. If she walked harder than normal or washed in the shower with a tad more force than usual, that was just an unfortunate side effect. She had noticed Nora's patient concern, but her sister had not yet spoken. Pyrrha sat down, still toweled from her shower, and began to brush out her hair.

 _"Jaune isn't good enough? How dare she!"_ Pyrrha's mind raged away, 'Pyr' angrily calling down her mother's behavior. _"Oh, he's fine as a friend and teammate, but apparently he doesn't meet 'the standard' for more? Well, it isn't your choice!"_ She viciously pulled at her locks, ignoring her scalp's protests. "It isn't your place to decide, Mother! I will live my own life!" She felt a hand take firm hold of hers, and Pyrrha snapped back to reality.

"Let me, Pyrrha." Nora offered with a smile and singing exuberance. A denial was just on her lips, but Pyrrha could see the concern still in Nora's face, and she relented. The smaller girl sat beside her, taking brush in hand, and began her slow care. Left without a victim – outlet – for her feelings, Pyrrha simply stewed in silence. The shower began in the other room as one of the boys got ready himself.

"Ya wanna talk about it?" Nora asked calmly from over her shoulder.

 _"I want to go throttle that woman."_ She thought sourly. But instead of voicing the unkind, and probably untrue, words, Pyrrha instead let out an exhausted breath.

"I love her, but all the same, my mother can be infuriating." Nora's calm ministrations did not stop, her hands slowly working her hair. "She wants the best from me. Whether it was training to be a huntress, or joining the fighting circuit, or apparently my love life. I- I just wish…"

Her mind drifted to Weiss, and intercepted talks of her demanding father, of his constricting control and cruel rule over her life. Her own mother was not that, not nearly, yet still she felt a heavy hand upon her.

"You wish what you thoughts counted more?" Nora offered, and Pyrrha nodded vigorously.

"That's exactly it! I chose to attend Beacon and mother disagreed. It didn't matter I had made up my mind, bought tickets and sent them a confirmation letter. Mother was offering this or that advantage of Haven until the day before I left. Haven was clearly superior to her, so it was the right choice for me.

"The worst of it now is that she knows Jaune, she even likes Jaune." Her mother had initially worried over Jaune's skill, but had watched them train their first day back, and told her she admired his determination. "She's willing to trust him to be my leader in battle, but not in this?"

"Why do you think she's this way?" Nora inquired simply. Pyrrha stopped, realizing she hadn't really considered why. She'd just taken the veiled insult to her boyfriend and run with it.

They were both quiet as she considered, weighed the reasons. It was when she rushed things that it always went wrong, so she needed to work this through. Nora kept working, not prodding for a quick response. Eventually, she began anew.

"When I told Mother I wanted to be a Huntress, she trained me herself. She was still an active Huntress, she didn't need to pause her own career for me. Plenty of my classmates at Sanctum were untrained when they arrived, but Mother made sure I was the best I could be. We once spent four hours practicing a single parry, Nora. Breaks only for water and the bathroom, but four hours just on a single, atypical parry. So I would be the best at it."

"Did you ever need it?" Nora asked playfully. Pyrrha snorted.

"I won my second Regional title off a riposte from that exact parry. She was so proud of me…

"It isn't that she completely ignores my wishes." Even her mother had understood Pyrrha's musical career was _not_ happening. "It's just… she doesn't want me to settle. She wants me to have the best, what she considers the best."

"And this hurts more because it's about Jaune." Nora finished.

"And this hurts more because it's Jaune." Her mother thought she was settling for Jaune. She took a steadying breath as Ren had taught her.

She understood her mother's point of view, she supposed, but she certainly didn't approve. Or agree.

Nora set the brush down next to them. "Ponytail, braid, or as is?"

"Let's leave it down." She said after a moment's pause; she'd set her aura to healing _certain_ marks that would go over poorly at dinner, but a little more concealment wouldn't hurt. Nora gave her a light hug, then rose to see to her own outfit. "Nora?" Pyrrha turned on her bed, catching the other girl.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks, sis." Nora's smile practically split her face when she went back to getting ready.

…

Pyrrha couldn't help but think they were garbed for war, despite the lack of armor or weapons, while they waited for their car to arrive. She had made sure she and Jaune matched: his cream turtleneck to her cream blouse, her black skirt to his own black jacket and pants. He also looked great, which certainly didn't hurt. Nora had opted for a mulberry cocktail dress, her heart-shaped tan line just peeking above the neck. Ren was the only one to opt for his traditional colors, in white shirt with black pants, and a silver-green vest.

Jaune was watching her, and while she would normally be more than pleased with his attention, he was frowning slightly. "You sure you're going to be warm enough, Pyr? That seems awful light." It was a fair point: latticework was probably a weak choice for the beginnings of winter. Similar concerns could be laid to Nora, but she had an infamous tolerance for the cold. She bumped Jaune playfully before taking his hand.

"Well, if I need a coat, I'll just have to borrow yours." That was part of the plan, of course. Her boyfriend pulled her close, and she might have been guilty of snuggling into his side.

"Come on, you two, you'll ruin my appetite." Nora drawled. Pyrrha may also have been guilty of sticking her tongue out at Nora, she blamed Ruby's influence if she did, but she stepped back to her original position.

A honking outside drew their attention, and JNPR stepped outside to see a limo waiting for them. As one, her friends turned to look at her. In her best imitation of the Arcs, she shrugged. The three looked to each other, before mimicking the gesture in unison.

"JNPR rides in style!" Nora called, charging the door held by the chauffeur.

* * *

Keeping Nora from pouring them drinks from the limo's bar felt like challenge enough for the night. The foyer of the restaurant, Jasmine's, made it clear his work was not over.

In one corner of the crowded room, his father stood alone in his dress uniform. In the other corner, equally surrounded by empty space, was a red-faced Thetis in a dark evening gown. A terrified man in a tuxedo shuffled uncomfortably by the door, and a few dozen other folks mingled between them. "Pyrrha, check with your mom. Ren, Nora: see the host. I'll get my dad." The team split easily, focusing on their targets. His father's face was a little flushed, his breathing coming hard, but Nicholas hugged his son warmly when he spotted him. "Dad, are you alright?"

His father let out a weary sigh. "Oh, I've… I've been better. But how are you? Where's your team, and this Mrs. Nikos?" Jaune tilted his head towards his partner.

"She's getting her mom: did something happen?" his father's eyes started sweeping the room for red hair.

"Well, got into a bit of an argument with…" He stopped speaking, and Jaune turned to see his father looking at Thetis. Their builds were utterly different, Thetis' short and slim to Pyrrha's tall and curvy, but the hair was the same. Standing next to one another, it was easy to see the relation

"Oh." Was all his father could manage.

* * *

"Well, obviously I didn't know, dear." Mother protested quietly as the two turned towards the maître d', watching as Jaune and his father do the same. "And I only let him know about my objections to Hunter deployment." Pyrrha took calming breaths.

"I understand, Mother; let's just try to have a pleasant evening." She asked just before the boys came within earshot. Ren signaled all was well with the staff, thankfully. _"Please don't blow this, Mother."_ She silently prayed. Reaching the men, there was a quiet pause. Pyrrha and Jaune lightly pushed their respective parents as the wait grew unbearable.

"Nicholas Arc." Nicholas offered through clenched teeth, extending a hand.

"Thetis Nikos." Mother responded with far too many teeth showing. Her hand was far steadier than normal when she accepted his, and she did not miss the whiteness of the knuckles in her grip.

"I… apologize for my earlier tone, Mrs Nikos: that was improper of me." The elder man offered after yet another loaded pause.

"I understand, Mr Arc: and I apologize for being so… insistent." Pyrrha could have wept, they were so insincere. Further fake making up was put off by the host, no doubt terrified of the probable shouting match, gesturing for them to follow. As the maître d' led them past men in black tie suits and women in elegant gowns, Pyrrha fervently wished that being under-dressed was the worst part of this dinner.

* * *

"I may have let my temper out of control, but she started it." Dad hissed as they walked. Jaune and his father had "conveniently" ended up separated from the Nikos family by Nora and Ren.

"Dad…" He begged just above a whisper.

"Don't look at me, son, take it up with her." His father straightened from the beginnings of a hunch, pulling his jacket straight. "I won't start anything, son." Jaune desperately wanted point out "Not starting anything" wasn't nearly as useful as just not arguing with his girlfriend's mother, but he would take what he could get.

Nora, Thetis, and Pyrrha took one side of the dimly lit table, while Ren, his father, and himself sat across from them. Jaune was a little intimidated by the menu, he'd always been a more practical cook than Ren, but he felt sure a steak was a safe bet: the drinks, of course, was where they hit the first snag.

"And what you you like to drink, sir?" The waiter asked his father smoothly, ignoring the staring match the two adults had been engaged in.

"Whiskey, please, as well as for my son." A waved hand to make the obvious more obvious. This was news to Jaune, though, so he coughed politely.

"Actually, I'd like some galliano." His father glared at him like he'd ordered cyanide instead of a Mistrali drink, but said nothing.

"Champagne, please." Thetis asked smugly, as if his drink choice was some kind of battle. Pyrrha asked for a muscat, watching the adults as if they were Grimm by a playground.

Nora set down her menu triumphantly before addressing the waiter: "And I'll have-"

"Water." Ren said, a hand falling over Nora's mouth. "Sake for me, please, but nothing for her." It had been a rather terrifying discovery, how badly Nora handled alcohol: Yang and she were on the no entry lists of half Vale's clubs.

The tension among the diners, if it didn't disappear, lessened as they set to the evening. His father asked about training, Thetis asked about Bar, and it seemed for a time that they'd put all that early trouble behind them.

"So, son: how was Patch?" his father asked over his whiskey, avoiding Thetis' eyes.

"It was pretty fun, dad. We got to see our friends in Team RWBY, and the local sights. The time with RWBY was useful, since we got more team spars in. Yang and Ruby's dad, Taiyang Xiao Long, helped us a bit too. He's a teacher at Signal."

"That's quite admirable of him." Thetis added cheerily from the other side of the table. "I admire a man who takes the training of his children upon himself." His father choked slightly as he settled a drink, and Jaune's own eyes widened.

"Yes, well, not all of us have duties light enough to do it ourselves." His father grumbled.

* * *

Pyrrha gazed distantly at the bottom of her wine glass, trying her best to suppress her surroundings.

"The people of Mistral would have never permitted Grimm to reign over portions of their city so long." Her mother growled over a half eaten salmon. Nicholas settled his drink, looming forward across the table.

"Of course not, the people of Mistral are still looking over their shoulders for when the Council reinstated the slavery laws. Oh, terribly sorry: the 'workforce reallocation program'. I know how much you struggle with things like honesty."

Ren and Nora had retreated to the far edge of the table, distancing themselves as best they could, leaving Jaune and she to fend for themselves on this front. She drained her glass, in sync with Jaune's own gulping, hoping to find some small enjoyment in the wine's taste.

"Honesty, yes, for Vale is such a bastion of honesty and transparent policy. How did is the Mountain Glenn expansion doing, Colonel?" The elder Arc glowered, never looking away as he cut free another portion of lamb.

The server walked by, and Pyrrha motioned for her to refill her glass.

* * *

Entrees carried away, Jaune only begged there would be no dessert, so this disaster could end sooner. A handful of ceasefires through the night couldn't make up for the war.

" _You've_ come to help _us_ , Mrs. Nikos, we aren't obliged to fulfill your every will." His father said sternly, hand clenched tightly to his drink. "While we appreciate your help, the _Valish_ military and Beacon will decide how to protect Vale. Not you."

He and Pyrrha had tried, they really had. Pyrrha had taken her mother to the bathroom after the appetizers, where she no doubt talked about her mother's behavior, while he had confronted his father.

 _"I will not stand by while that hag insults Vale or me, son."_ Had been his terse response, but he had agreed to reign it back.

Then he made passing mention to White Fang operations in Wind Path, and the gloves came off again. Thetis' return comment on Vale's White Fang had earned her a kicked foot from Pyrrha, and he did the same when his father brought up Mistrali ship design. _"There's really no stopping them…"_

Thetis crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. Her hair fell away, and for a brief moment the terrible gashes along her right temple were visible, before the red veil settled again. "How do you propose to protect Vale, when you can't even protect your own son? It's amazing he's achieved what he has with you as a hindrance, it took good Mistrali training to turn Jaune into a competent fighter."

There was a muted thump as Pyrrha pushed away from the table, her chair toppling to the ground. She nearly followed it to the floor as she spun away, uneasily marching from the room. Everyone else watched in stunned silence, but he moved.

Rising from his own seat, Jaune notices his legs were a little unsteady too. "Maybe a little too much to drink.". He wouldn't let that stop him, this was nothing compared to what had come before. He followed glimpses of brilliant red, until he slipped through the closing door. Pyrrha had not stopped outside, instead turning down the side alley hand on the wall. He gave chase, watching his feet in case of ice in the chill evening.

Pyrrha was leaning against the wall, hands braced behind her. He took off his coat as he walked towards her, noting the light dusting of snow that had begun while they ate. She shifted quietly as he wrapped it around her, pulling it closed. Her face was flushed, her eyes watery.

"I hate them." She murmured. He propped himself up next to her, arm pulling her close as he let the wall steady both of them. "I hate him, I hate her. I hate them." The viciousness at that last drew his attention, and he saw she was looking back the way they came. A few people were looking down the alley toward them. He didn't spot any cameras, but he turned himself to block as much of her as possible.

"I just want things to go right. Where we only have to fight Grimm, and all our friends get along, and nobody is insulting anyone else behind their backs, and we can all just see each other for who we are, and things can just stop being in the way or trying to pull me somewhere else." Her shoulders bowed, and she rested her face on his shoulder.

Softly, he ran his hand through her hair, as his partner crushed herself into his chest and shook with rage and sorrow. A commotion at the alley mouth, and he saw Nora standing watch and Ren peering in. "Car." He mouthed to him, briefly lifting a hand like he was making a call. Ren nodded, and his friends pushed back prying eyes.

"You don't hate them." He whispered into her hair, though her grip tightened. "Okay, we hate those people, but not your mother, not my dad. We're angry at 'em, and we should. Our parents are stupid." Her light laugh, after too many moments of tears, made his heart soar.

"They're rude, and mean, and-" he stopped to consider his thoughts, "and probably a little drunk, too. We have to be better than them."

"Why? Why can't we just…?" her grip tightened on his shirt again, shoulders shaking in frustration when she couldn't find the words.

"Hey," he said resting a hand in her cheek until she looked up from his shirt. He leaned forward, careful of both their balances, and pressed his lips to hers. He could taste her wine on her lips, yet pulled her closer. Her body relaxed, even if her grip didn't let up, and he finally pulled away. "I have you: that's more than enough for me." She nuzzled into his chest, this time peacefully.

"You're warm." She murmured, and he returned to running his hand through her hair as they waited in the snow. A brief honk drew him back to the alley mouth, where Ren and Nora waited patiently by the car.

"Come on, Pyr, let's go home." He took a firm hold of her, moving forward at a pace easy for both of them. She hummed a few notes to a song they both knew well, before quietly singing, off-key and a tad slurred.

"Yes, i know that when I'm with you I'm at home…"


	25. An Unstable Foundation

**A/N:** _Peeks inside, pushes chapter forward._

Thanks for reading, please enjoy chapter twenty-five.

* * *

Pyrrha opened her eyes to the sight of her blankets, and groaned miserably. Her eyes were sore, and her head was throbbing lightly, and she felt as if someone had hit her in the stomach repeatedly with a baseball bat. She let out another piteous moan, and the corner of her bed depressed as someone sat down.

"Good morning, Pyrrha." Ren's low voice came from somewhere above her. Blessedly, Ren had guessed her hearing would be sensitive, so Pyrrha did not flinch at the noise. Instead, she extended a hand from underneath the blankets, hoping for some kind of succor. The motion let in a painful beam of light, showing her the black cloth of Jaune's hoodie before she shied away from the light.

"What happened?" Her voice was raw, as if she'd been yelling. Along with Ren's chuckle, she knew she wasn't going to be happy.

"You had a bit too much last night, I'm afraid. We got you home before you caused much of a scene, and most of the troubles were limited to getting you to bed and dealing with your mother." At mention of her mother, Pyrrha groped around her for a scroll, but found none. "Jaune took the brunt of it on both occasions, but he's more mad at everything else than at you, so no worries. He left about an hour ago to collect our first assignment."

"W-What did I do?" She felt a cool glass be pressed into her hand, and she withdrew it back under the warm and dark covers.

"You stormed out of the restaurant, and a few paparazzi have shots of you and Jaune talking in an alley, as well as you leaving with us. They were making some noise about Pyrrha Nikos partying, but those are just the dregs." She'd heard worse back home, but Pyrrha still hated learning she'd given them an opportunity. The water was ice cold, and the single greatest thing Ren had given her.

"Back home was another issue, as it all caught up to you. First, you wanted to dance. After we convinced yo against that, you wanted Jaune to sing to you. When you were finally convinced to go to bed, you wanted Jaune to cuddle with you." Her face grew redder by the word, and she could _hear_ Ren's smile grow with each word. "In the end, you settled for his hoodie, and him tucking you in for the night. He was very tender."

Pyrrha struggled with the equally powerful urges to crawl in a hole to die from embarrassment, and to snuggle into the reminder of her boyfriend. She settled for the latter, deciding finding a hole would involve getting out from under the covers. "Nora?" She asked quietly.

"Playing keep away with Thetis. Your mother was in quite the mood; she and Jaune had a full-fledged shouting match. Nora has been outside since he left, but I haven't heard anything since; no doubt, Nora is playing peacemaker." Strangers would have thought that a joke, even Team RWBY would have thought it Ren being flippant, but Pyrrha knew otherwise.

"They both seemed calmer when I last stepped out, but I sense Thetis is trying very hard to not come in and scold you. She came home not long after us: we've not heard from Mr. Arc."

"I'll owe her something special." She mumbled from inside her cocoon of cloth.

"We're a team, Pyrrha: you're the closest Nora and I have to family. You don't owe either of us for anything." A hand came to rest lightly on her arm, and Pyrrha felt a flare of warmth at both word and gesture. She loved them, all three of them. She couldn't ask for better friends. "So, if you think your stomach can handle it, I can get some light food."

She wasn't entirely sure, but her stomach didn't feel horrendous: "Alright, let's give it a try. I need to try and work up some strength." She heard Ren silently depart, and she decided it would be good to try and rise. Pulling the just-too-large hood up, Pyrrha crawled free from her blankets. The light, even obscured, was piercing, and her head swam as she rose to her feet. She shouldered on, however, striking out for the bathroom.

"I am _never_ doing that again." She promised herself, killing the lights as she shut the door.

* * *

The Beacon Barracks surrounded a small courtyard, the dark green forest of tents blocking out the civilian world. Jaune felt in his element, somehow, surrounded by the Hunters and students who had taken up residence here: he knew the life of the average person in Vale was behind him. His home now was found among complex, shifting weaponry and cases of dust rounds. Home was where color proudly declared a Huntsman or Huntress, and where steel on steel was music.

" _Since when is sparring so cathartic? I get my ass kicked most of the time!"_

Skill aside, he still felt at home amongst the oddities of Hunters. On the streets outside, his gleaming white armor stood out, but among his peers he was restrained. He could see could see Yatsu's massive orange sword rising and falling to his left, and a girl in yellow and brown robes was sparring with a Beacon upperclassman dressed in a blue cloak and flame-patterned armor. He briefly stopped to watch the electric fight, but returned to the task of finding his team a job. The mission boards surrounded the inside of the court, screens glowing softly with long lists of tasks.

" _Something in Vale, and on the easier side: we haven't seen real combat in months."_ A Grimm extermination job in North Commerce seemed appealing, but he decided against it. _"We need to be in a more remote area if Pyrrha wants to test herself. No guard duty either…"_ Something thwacked him on the head, and Jaune spun to face his attacker.

Blanche, a rolled up magazine in her hand, was grinning at him. "Morning, little bro! Have a good time last night?" Jaune didn't need her smirk to spot a loaded question, so he returned to job hunting.

"Morning, Blanche, how're you doing?" A local combine was trying to get a team to clear out the Grimmin the orchards in the south, that could work.

"Oh, I was alright until Dad came in; he was a thunderhead. Wouldn't talk about it, but the tabloids aren't so quiet." Blanche cleared her throat dramatically, and Jaune heard the rustling of paper. "Mistrali celebrity Pyrrha Nikos was seen in Vale last night, enjoying a wild night on the town. The renowned fighter and Beacon student rushed out of a restaurant before departing in style with several other people. Why Nikos is painting the town red while her home kingdom is under siege is unknown, but we suspect-" Jaune interrupted Blanche's reading, tired of hearing Pyrrha badmouthed.

"Please don't read crap like that, sis. We had dinner with Dad and Pyrrha's mom, remember? We left in the car she hired and went back to our house: we didn't go clubbing or something. I've got a find a mission for us, so do you mind?" He was having a hard time focusing on the board with Blanche standing just behind him.

"Didn't say you were up to no good, Jaune. I was just letting you know what _they're_ saying."

"Well _they_ can go jump off a bridge." People who ran those magazines made a mess of Pyrrha's life. They took any little thing she did and exploded it into a scandal. _"Grimm extermination in North Fork: not a lot of people around, large amount of low-threat Grimm, and nothing to worry about breaking."_ Jaune selected the job and submitted his team's credentials. Given how crowded the boards were, he doubted they'd be turned down for being students.

"Telling the media to stuff it as he takes on his first mission: my little Jaune is all grown up!" Blanche threw her arms around him and squeezed. He took hold of her arms to try and return the gesture, letting a little bit of the tenseness from the morning seep out. It hadn't been a great day so far, and a bit of Arc Family warmth was just what he needed.

"I am proud of you, Jaune. I'm scared for you, but don't think I'm not proud of you." Her head rested on his shoulder, and she pulled him a little tighter.

"Thanks, sis. It's been a pretty stressful morning…" His sister chuckled behind him, letting go to step next to him.

"Trouble in paradise? Pyrrha seems like a good girl?"

"Hmm? No, no it's her mother. Thetis and I _normally_ get along, but she was pretty pissed today. She didn't like that Pyrrha stormed off, and she _really_ didn't like what those leeches wrote." He gestured to the paper still in her hand. "She's probably even more touchy about this kind of thing than Pyrrha, since she handles a lot of the business," Touchy was putting it lightly: Thetis had practically shouted herself hoarse this morning. He blushed, remembering responding in kind. _"Not the best look, Arc…"_

"Your girlfriend's mother isn't the best person to be in a fight with, Jaune: why do you think Noire is still single?" Despite the joke, his sister was lasered in on him. He held up his hands in surrender.

"I know! But I don't like being accused of causing trouble when it was Thetis and Dad that started it. Blanche, they hate each other. They spent the entire dinner taking shots over the bow, and Pyrrha lost her cool; I wasn't doing much better, either." _"And I still don't know how I'm going to address that…"_ His scroll pinged, and he found JNPR had already been approved for the mission: Professor Goodwitch's signature appeared on the form.

"Already? It usually takes a day or two, how do you have approval in minutes?" Blanche had seen his screen apparently.

"The headmaster wants us to get out there soon: she knew I'd be looking for a mission today, so she hurried it along." His sister's flat look all too clearly said she didn't believe him. "And I can't go into more detail, sis."

"Ugh, you're even getting special missions. Fine, Agent Arc, go on and leave your dear sister behind in the mundane world of paperwork and interdepartmental relations. Go, save the wor-" Now it was her turn to duck, as Jaune lazily swung an arm to pull her into a headlock. She barely dodged, surreptitiously sticking her tongue out at him. "Ha, nice try! But seriously, got any plans to deal with this problem?" Jaune shrugged.

"Lay low and put my nose to the grindstone. Thetis respects hard work, so if we do that and don't get in more trouble, we'll be fine." Or at least he hoped so.

"I hope so." Blanche mirrored. "Say hi to the team for me, alright?"

"I will, and tell Dad I said hi. Later sis!" Jaune ducked back, and dove back into the swarm of hunters.

* * *

The hum of the ship's engine and the cries of the wind pushed away any chance for conversation, leaving Pyrrha to watch the buzzing landscape in silence. Four days into their return, and JNPR was back on missions. It felt good.

Jaune had explained the job upon his return the other day: a quick flight to a small complex along Vale's northern river, which they were to clear of Grimm. Their employers prefered if the buildings were left intact, but there was no special objective or restrictions on force. Simple, private, and relatively safe: the perfect mission to get back in. Her mother had agreed with Jaune's assessment as well.

She could still feel the tension around her mother and the team, sense that Thetis desperately wanted to take her to task for her behavior, but her mother held back. Whatever Nora had said to her seemed to have worked, thankfully. Her mother had been _quite_ displeased with Jaune, but the negativity seemed to fade when Jaune began the mission brief: her mother's respect for Jaune as a team leader still stood firm, it seemed.

The bullhead slowed, dipping down to hover just above an empty alley beside a great brick and metal complex. Jaune dropped first, taking point while she covered them. Ren and Nora quickly followed, then she dropped as well. Jaune signalled the pilot, who lifted off, and set his scroll to sound when pick-up was due to return. The street was empty, though strewn with the debris of a crashed supply truck.

She and Jaune approached the door to the nearest building, Nora and Ren stacking behind them.

" _We'll go through the administrative building in the south"_ , Jaune's outline replayed in her head, _"once it's clear, we'll move to the manufactury on the east, then the warehouse and outbuildings. Pick-up is in three hours, or when we signal. Worst comes to worst, head for the the river."_

He nodded to her, and she reached out to the door with her mind. The lock was electronic, and a bit of force from her semblance fried the equipment. With a mental shove, she forced the door open, and Jaune entered with his shield raised and Stormflower covering him. She felt the dulling sensation that meant Ren had activated his semblance, blinding their presence their prey's unnatural senses. As soon as Ren cleared the door, Pyrrha and Nora followed. The lobby was empty, thankfully.

"Door at seven, our normal formation." Jaune whispered hoarsely. Ren and Jaune traded point, while Nora and Pyrrha took up positions to Jaune's sides. The door opened again under Pyrrha's efforts, and Ren slipped through. There was a lone Beowolf at the hall's end: Pyrrha, Jaune, and Nora halted while Ren dashed forward. Ren silently crossed the distance in an eyeblink, burying his blades in the creature, tearing into its neck from behind.

They moved to rejoin Ren, who was already leaning around the next corner, inspecting their route. A brief thumbs up informed them the hall was clear, the Grimm likely not alerted to their activities. Rejoined, the team moved ahead, going door to door as they made their way to the distant stairs. A handful more Grimm met the same fate as the first, none raising the alarm. Going in quiet like this extended the mission length, and in likelihood was unnecessary, but none of them were interested in drawing the attention of a surprise swarm.

The office secured, they stood at the exit, examining the brief distance to the warehouse entrance.

"Anyone see anything?" Jaune asked, dropping back from his window.

"All clear for me." Nora responded seriously, Magnihild's grenade launcher deployed.

"Right. We'll cross to the double doors, Pyrrha and I take point. Ren, i think we can test your theory here." Ren reached into his bag, withdrawing a large sack Pyrrha had no clue he'd managed to fit. He handed it to her with a metallic clink. She eyed the two boys suspiciously. "I call it 'opening with a Yang.'" She glared at Jaune harder.

Door opened, the team sprinted across the way to their new target. Jaune opened the door silently, looking inside before quickly pulling back.

"Found them." He said with a hint of excitement. "Pyr, you need to cover a twenty by six by two hundred space, think you can manage with those?" She opened the sack, peering in. She smiled viciously at them all at the sight of contents.

"Oh, I think i can manage." She closed her eyes, envisioning the wall, and reached out. Several scores of ball bearing lifted silently from the bag, aligning themselves in a grid along the brickwork.

"Ready?" She heard him whisper. She nodded. "Go!" She pushed.

Stone cracked and dust burst around her, but she felt the metal ammunition drill through and burst across her targets. The projectiles flew across the room, jarring contact threatening to pull them from her grasp, but she powered through the resistance. She reached what she estimated to be the far wall, then withdrew the bearings at the same speed she had fired them, again feeling the pull of contact. A grating of brick told her the projectiles had returned to the entry point.

She opened her eyes to Nora's staring face. "That. Sounded. Terrifying." She whispered in awe. Jaune peeked through the door again, then swung it open casually, gesturing them forward. There were no Grimm in the room, only several massive, dissipating corpses. Riddled machinery and collapsing boxes littered the room, but Pyrrha couldn't help but feel _immense_ satisfaction with their little test.

"Alright! High five!" Nora held up a free hand to her, and Pyrrha cautiously returned the gesture: they were still in a combat situation, after all. As their hands clapped, the air was filled with a wave of roars. "Apparently they heard us." Nora muttered, stating the obvious.

"Over to the east wall. Pyrrha, watch the west, Nora can cover the north and Ren the south." Jaune's stern voice directed, the team falling back to cover behind perforated walls and battered equipment. The sounds of scrambling claws could be heard, followed shortly by the crashing of Grimm throwing themselves against the doors and walls of the building. "Nora, be careful." Their leader warned. "If they get past the halfway mark, switch to melee." The building shook ominously under the assault, and then the Grimm wer upon the,.

* * *

The Grimm burst in, and his team reigned down hell. The staccato burst of Stormflower, the rapid but precise crack of Milo, and the reverberating boom of Magnhild filled the air. Jaune stood at the ready, watching his friends fight. _"I_ really _need a ranged option. Maybe we could make Crocea Mors mechashift?"_ Beowolves collapsed as Pyrrha picked them off, Creeps and Boarbatusks sent tumbling by Ren and Nora. There were simply too many in the wave crashing against their building, and it was soon time for him to join the fray.

The building creaked terrifyingly above them as Milo shifted into a spear and his partner stabbed forward into the Ursa approaching her. The blade licked through the beast's neck, and Jaune bulled through the collapsing beast to engage the next creature. In the corner of his eye, he could see Nora diving headlong into the fight, but soon was face to face against his next target.

Claws lashed out, but they slid harmlessly against his shield. He struck forward, the rush of combat trying to drown out his peripheral vision and unneeded sound. His sword buried itself in the creature's chest, and Jaune forced himself to remain aware, to keep his head. He pulled his blade back, cutting to the side as he did, raising his shield. Milo flashed over his shoulder, ensuring the Beowolf was finished, while he turned on the approaching Creep.

Once, the Grimm terrified him. Sure, he was still scared of alpha Grimm: of Ursai taller than a building and Taijitu long enough to crush ships. But these things? Grimm hardly bigger than a man? Jaune was more concerned about exhaustion than actually being bested. His sword rose and fell, his shield bashed and deflected, and Grimm fell around him.

" _Good thing we don't keep score!"_ A hysterical part of him laughed, watching as Pyrrha unleashed a complex pattern of swings, leaving half a dozen Grimm on the ground. She stuck out her hand, a burning flash temporarily blinded him, but Nora's maniacal laughter accompanied by a loud crackling told him all he needed to know. A great weight smashed into him just as his vision cleared, and Jaune was carried to the ground by a Deathstalker. The stinger stabbed down at him, and Jaune felt it skitter across his aura as he stabbed weakly at its stomach. A pincer fixed onto his shield arm, pressing down against his rerebrace. _"Okay, maybe they aren't as harmless as I thought!"_

The tail struck again, and once again his aura reserves were all that kept him from gaining a new hole in his skull. There was a furious cry from above him, and the great scorpion vanished. Turning, he saw it pinned to the far wall, Milo jutting from its chest. Pyrrha was above him in a heartbeat, black light _yanking_ him to his feet. Jaune readied himself to defend, preparing to hold off attackers until his partner was rearmed. Lolling jaws came for them, but he wouldn't let them reach her. he chopped down brutally, and a head rolled by.

A flash of red, and he knew Pyrrha was rearmed. Akouo butted against his shield as they formed a two-man shieldwall, ready to face their next foe.

The ceiling shuddered, the building once again groaning loudly.

"Out!" He screamed, pushing back on Pyrrha, nudging her towards the wall behind them. A Taijitu lashed out at him just as he heard Magnhild's concussive release, but he managed to beat the creature back, withdrawing from the fight. A row of cracked and pockmarked pillars gave way in rapid succession, and the far roof tilted forward. Jaune once again saw the black haze surround his armor before he flew back, landing on the outside street loudly just as the building's supports finally gave way.

The crash of metal and stone was deafening, dust ballooning into the air, but Jaune could see his entire team standing in front of him, watching the collapse. He rose to his feet as the sound died down, all four coughing inside the light cloud. "Everyone okay?"

A round of affirmative coughs.

"So… the Grimm did that, right? We didn't knock the building down?" He could _hear_ the painful pause as his friends yet again watched the wreckage in front of them.

"Everyone knows Grimm have no sense for architecture: they barreled right through load bearing walls." Ren answered flatly, drawing fervent nods from the girls.

"Exactly!" He looked up and down the street for signs of Grimm rushing their position: he saw none. "Okay, let's… get back in there. We don't know if that caught them all. Ren?" Their stealthiest teammate moved ahead of them, Nora quick to follow, but Pyrrha held back. Jaune stepped up close to her; she was staring worriedly at the ruins, a guilty expression on her face. On a whim, he planted a light peck on her cheek. The contact broke Pyrrha's distant concentration, and she stared back at him in mild surprise, cheeks dusted pink.

"Thanks for bailing me out, again." He said warmly, motioning for her to start moving. Pyrrha frowned, but began to follow Nora.

"If not for me, I doubt you'd need to have been bailed out, Jaune. I just knocked down a building…" He chuckled a bit, drawing a small glower from his partner.

"Pyr, I didn't see a thing. Well, nothing besides my amazing girlfriend kicking ass." Her frown turned to a suppressed smile, which he returned full force. "Now, let's get in there and finish the job." The two fell instep behind Nora, and followed their friends back into the totally Grimm-induced rubble.

* * *

 **Post:** So, yeah. Been a while, huh? Sorry everyone! I did some work on my other stories, then some work on other people's stories, then it was Christmas: it got away from me! My bad, y'all!

But, if you'd like to see what I spent some of my time doing, check out "Last Resort", by Lightningstrxu.


	26. Kiss, and Make Up

**A/N:** Aaaaand, we're back! Happy New Year, everyone: I hope you had a good time? Here's to a strong beginning!

Thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter twenty-six.

* * *

Snow fell steadily outside the window, blanketing Vale in icy white, while Jaune set the small platter of food for his team. Nora had politely yet firmly kicked him out of his room this morning to snuggle in with Ren, as she was wont to do, so he had gone downstairs to prepare a meal for his team. Nothing fancy, compared to Ren's work: some toast and scrambled eggs, what cuts of fruit he could find, and a pot of tea. He arms and shoulder ached from extended use, his back sore from combat, and his legs were still aching from a hard hit, but he could manage carrying up breakfast. After their first mission, JNPR had quickly sought out another. And another. And another.

Six jobs in two weeks, going wherever they were needed and not likely to be seen; thankfully, they hadn't collapsed a building on themselves again. The team was able to move through their formations as easily as breathing, Pyrrha and Nora had worked out a proper routine for their grenadier's power up, and Pyrrha had tested her powers on new levels regularly. Seeing Pyrrha with what had to be a literal ton of debris spinning around her, killing Grimm by firing concrete and rebar at them was _terrifying_. But they had to get stronger, didn't they? Vale might have been getter safer day by day, but Beacon was still overwhelmed, that giant frozen dragon bringing more Grimm each day.

The tray clattered lightly as he moved down to the hall JNPR's rooms were in. Poking his head into his own room, he easily spotted the Ren nearly falling out of bed, Nora practically glued to his back: both sleeping peacefully. Quietly, he unloaded two plates for them and a drink for Ren, then shut the door, turning to Nora and Pyrrha's room.

He'd expected to find his girlfriend enjoying their day off, sleeping somewhere beneath a small mountain of blankets. Instead, he found her curled up with her scroll, inside a small mountain of blankets. He knocked on the frame, and Pyrrha set the screen down, smiling at him. "Good morning, Jaune."

Jaune moved to sit on Nora's bed, but Pyrrha shuffled to the side, patting hers, so he left the tray on the bedside table and dropped down next to her. Still surrounded by her blankets, she settled against his side, while he wrapped an arm her, and returned to her scroll. "What're you reading?" He asked, grabbing a mug with his free hand.

"A news report from Mistral. Everything's still so delayed, but it seems there's still more trouble-", she accepted the mug he offered her, "thank you, it seems like there's still a good deal of trouble back home. Mother said not to worry, but there's still been no good news." She sipped the mug, the worry in her face soothed away by the warmth and taste. Jaune grabbed his own cup, and tried to consider the situation.

"Well, Weiss' sister left for Mistral, and Blanche told me yesterday some Mistrali Hunters have gone home, too. I can't think the situation in Mistral is _worse_ than here, but they're getting backup. I know you're worried, but it'll be fine." Pyrrha hummed next to him, still scanning the scroll. He decided to not let the troubles past this room bother him, so he settled back against the headboard.

They drank in silence for a while, until Pyrrha let out a tired sigh and set the scroll down. Jaune saw a flash of the headline she'd reached: "Pyrrha Parties". Before she could let the mood spoil, Jaune had already hefted over the breakfast plates, settling the platter on his lap beside her. The frustrated frown slid away, her warming smile returning. "Thank you again, Jaune."

"Any time, Pyr, but let's dig in before it gets too cold." Pyrrha shimmied a hair farther from her cocoon of blankets, to better eat, and they took up the meal.

"Any word from home? How is everyone in Bar?" Pyrrha asked, crunching into her jam and toast. Jaune flashed her a prideful little grin, and fished his own scroll free, pulling up the news he'd been planning to give the whole team.

"Verte sent me this after we finished talking last night." Pyrrha looked at the picture on his scroll for a moment, then back at him, the significance not quite setting in. The picture was of the Arc crest with a sword, Crocea Mors actually, interposed atop it, giving the appearance of wings. "It's Verte's emblem: been working on it for a while now."

"Her… emblem?" Pyrrha asked, still lost. He nodded again, then pointed to the pin resting on Pyrrha's dresser.

"Yeah, her emblem. She'll need one for Signal." He let it sink in.

"Signal? Signal… Academy? She got it? SHE GOT IN!" Half-eaten breakfast forgotten, Pyrrha _threw_ herself at him laughing, arms wrapping around him and _squeezing_. His head hit the headboard, but Jaune was too busy laughing with her, enjoying the moment. "She's going to Signal, Jaune?"

He smiled harder, "They're moving to Patch in the Spring, Verte and Rose."

"Rose, too? That's wonderful, Jaune! What's Rose's emblem, does she have it?"

"I'll need my arms back to find it, Pyr." She let go of him, anxiously waiting for him. He scrolled through the message quickly to pull up the next picture: the shield of Crocea Mors, with the Arc crest in red. Pyrrha was _vibrating_ in place, gushing over the news.

"I'm so excited for them!" She cheered, dragging him into another hug. He dropped his scroll, pulling her in tighter, kissing the top of her head.

"So am I. I'm so proud of both of them." He was envious, too; his parents hadn't let him attend a combat school. In the end, he'd found a way around that, and now he wouldn't trade his life for anything. No, if his own success could let his sisters follow in his footsteps, he would be happy for them. The plates lifted off the bed then, black auras carrying them to the table. He looked down from the top of Pyrrha's head to her face.

Pyrrha, blankets pushed off in the excitement, was still wearing the loose green tank top and flowing pants she normally wore to bed. Her head was resting on his chest, sprawled atop him. He noticed one of the top's straps had fallen down her arm, and he found it _very_ hard to look away from that. Pyrrha pushed herself up on her elbows, her face inching closer to his. "Jaune." She said in a low voice, bottomless green eyes watching him. His hands worked their way onto her waist, and he leaned down to capture her lips. His grip tightened.

"We should celebrate." He said hurriedly, breaking from the kiss for just a moment, as Pyrrha came to rest on his lap. Her lithe arms snaked around his neck, her strong grip settling into his hair.

"I agree." She whispered in a voice that sent his blood racing. She pressed close, and Jaune's hands moved up her back. Words were beyond them as their lips met again, Jaune feeling Pyr's tongue push past his lips, her hips beginning to slowly grind against his. He moaned, overwhelmed by the sensations, and Pyrrha returned the feeling as he pressed her closer. "Jaune." She said again, in a low, heavy voice, so different from her normally measured tones.

Her arms left his neck and back, and Jaune watched, transfixed, as she drew one from the half-fallen strap. Her loose shirt draped down, barely obscuring her chest. She took hold of the other strap, and paused: she smiled at him wickedly.

"Please." He begged her, unable to contain the raw emotion in his voice. Those emerald eyes danced with fire, and she slid her arm free from the final strap.

* * *

She caught her shirt just as it began to fall, holding it against her chest, savoring the emotion playing across Jaune's face. She'd wanted his heart for months, wanted to feel his love, but a part of her had wanted something… more. Now that the former had been taken, she knew the latter would follow eventually. The hunger in Jaune's ocean blue eyes told her he returned the sentiment. Behind her, she could feel something pressing her rear as well, and she knew it was _not_ Crocea Mors.

There was a hard knock on the door, and her mother's voice called, "Pyrrha?" Her racing heart galloped faster, but to an entirely different beat. Jaune's eyes, half-lidded and deep, became bug-eyed in terror quick as lightning, no doubt as her own did the same. She swung herself off Jaune, jabbing her hand back into her sleeve. Jaune silently leapt from the bed, his head whipping side to side in panic.

Pyrrha buried herself back in her blankets, and whispered to Jaune: "I'm sorry!" Before he could respond, Akouo flew from her desk to his chest, lifting him from the ground and securing him against the ceiling.

"Pyrrha? Are you up, dear?" her mother asked again. Pyrrha had wrapped herself in her blankets, and Jaune had, despite his confusion, braced his arms and legs against the corners of the walls and ceiling.

"Yes, sorry." Pyrrha said, trying to force the terror out of her voice. With another mental flick, she opened the door, and her mother stepped through. She was garbed for a long day out, in a red-black jacket that obscured the armor she wore beneath. Molossus, the rifle Pyrrha had designed Milo on, hung from her shoulder; Thetis was heading for a mission then. _"Mother, I don't believe I've been less happy to see someone ever before."_ A desperate portion of her mind complained.

"Are you well, dear?" Thetis asked, pulling a chair from the desk as she sat at the foot of the bed. She did not look up to see her daughter's boyfriend dangling from the ceiling.

"Just a little warm." Pyrrha piped, trying to keep her cool, and failing. "Is something wrong?" Her mother frowned at her, but shook herself briefly.

"I wanted… to apologize, dear. Ever since the dinner with Jaune's father, I've been abominable." Pyrrha blinked very slowly, trying to understand the words she was hearing. Thetis Nikos _apologizing?_ "It was unfair of me to put blame for that debacle on anyone beyond myself, and then I refused to admit I was wrong. I _shouted_ at Jaune! I'm a woman full-grown, there's no excuse for me to lose my temper like that."

" _This isn't real, I'm having some kind of hallucination"_ Pyrrha pondered. Her eyes flicked to Jaune again, who looked to engrossed in fear to really process what her mother was saying. "Its… alright, mother. He understands." Thetis shook her head stolidly, though.

"It's not alright, Pyrrha. I need to apologize to him as well, for my behavior: do you know where I can find him?"

" _Don't look at him, don't look at him, don't look at him."_ Pyrrha's mind screamed at her. Instead, she looked to the side, away from Jaune, as if in thought. "I think he went out already? He dropped off breakfast for a moment." She gestured to the food, hoping it would support her deception. "If you don't catch him, I'll send him your way?" Her mother hummed an agreement, leaning back in her chair.

"I also wanted to talk to you about home." She had Pyrrha's attention again. She'd been hearing about Mistral's troubles at every corner since she came to Vale, but always with the assurance the Kingdom could handle it. Thetis shifted Molossus on her shoulder, watching her boots. "I'm considering going home soon."

"Y-You are?" Where would JNPR go? What would it mean for them? There was no possible way this was actually happening, this was all just too much at once. This was some kind of disturbed dream, surely! Her mother, unaware of Pyrrha's racing mind, continued on.

"I came out of retirement because a neighboring kingdom was struggling and Mistral was in a tight spot. Now, it's Vale with the lesser problem, and Mistral the greater. Its hard to keep in touch back home, but I've not heard good things."

"Do you know when you're returning?" Pyrrha asked, starting to numb from the news. Her mother shrugged.

"Perhaps a month? I've obligations in Vale I cannot simply drop, after all. I will be going soon, however. This house is paid through until spring, though, so your friends can stay here instead of in the student barracks."

"Thank you, Mother, I was worried about… wait. My team?" She had a suspicion, but she wanted to hear it aloud.

"Well, dear, I wanted you to return with me. Mistral needs us, we should go back. I can't _make_ your friends leave Vale, I can't really make you do it either, but I assume you would want to go home?"

"I hadn't… I'd not…" She trailed off, unsure how to responds properly. Of course, she'd worried for Mistral, but Beacon! Her friends were here, and her school was as much home as her beleaguered kingdom. She felt an odd shifting in her powers, and she surreptitiously looked back to Jaune. Her boyfriend was adjusting Akouo, pushing and sliding the shield as it no doubt pressed uncomfortable into his stomach.

"You don't need to make a decision now." Her mother said gently drawing her back to the conversation. "You have time to let them know. Maybe they'll all want to come, and you can show them Mistral? I've a patrol in the south for most of the day, but do you have another mission? Jaune's been running you all ragged."

'No, no we're taking a break for the next few days." Even Pyrrha had been feeling the aches of their frequent missions. In all the… excitement… of the previous minutes, she'd momentarily forgotten how much how much her arms and back hurt.

"Well, maybe you should have a talk with them about this?" Her mother rose, smiling warmly, if nervously, at her. "Sleep well, Pyrrha."

"Good luck, mother." Thetis picked up the plates, what little remaining of their breakfasts having been forgotten in their rush. Her blush flared back to life, thinking that her _mother_ had been seconds away from catching them. There was a soft thump in Jaune's corner, and Pyrrha whipped her head towards it. Jaune's hand was outstretched, his scroll lying on the ground beneath him. Her mother was straightening with the tray, and Pyrrha knew she'd heard. She lashed out with her mind, seizing his scroll and launching it towards herself.

She caught it, shoved the scroll under her blankets, and did her best to appear innocent as Thetis faced the noise. Her mother eyed the empty space of carpet for a moment. "Is everything well, mother?"

"Did… did you hear something?" She asked hesitantly.

"I… ah… think that may have been Ren and Nora: she went over to check on him earlier." Hopefully, her mother didn't know that particular corner was a closet.

"Hmm. Oh well, good morning, dearest." Thetis closed the door beneath them, and both she and Jaune seemed to hold their breath another moment.

"Pyrrha", Jaune croaked, "Drop Akouo."

"What?"

"Drop. Akouo." His voice was stern yet curious. Following his instructions, she released her shield, letting it settle beside Milo. Jaune remained on the ceiling. She stared in utter confusion as Jaune pulled his legs from the walls, and did not fall. He looked incredibly nauseous, but fascinated by what was happening. "Now. Drop me."

His words didn't make any sense, until she noticed the dark sheen along his chest and stomach, a haze that seemed reminiscent of her semblance. She focused her mind and realized _she was_ still using it, she was holding Jaune up! Her surprise, of course, snapped the control, and Jaune fell to the floor with a much louder thud. "I'm sorry!" She squeaked, jumping from bed and rushing to him.

"Jaune, are you alright? Are you hurt, I had no idea I could do that? I thought I was just holding you up with Akouo and I was just so worried mother would spot you or that'd you'd slip or-" Jaune interrupted her by kissing her lightly on the lips. He seemed to take a great deal of joy in that particular tactic.

Not that she minded.

"I'm okay, Pyrrha. It felt _really_ weird, but I'm fine." She helped him to his feet, and the young couple sat back down on the foot of the bed. His color was returning to normal, but he was still watching his stomach with suspicion, as if he expected it to betray him. "So…" He trailed off.

Pyrrha could imagine his thoughts all too well. _"So, do you want to take your shirt off again, or do you want to talk about leaving for Mistral?"_ Not for the first time, she cursed her poor timing. There had been an energy to their actions, a mood now gone. Oh no, was she going to use the "I'm not in the mood" line on him? "I… I think we should put off our earlier activities." Jaune let out a quiet, almost defeated sigh. "But I don't know if I want to leave for Mistral."

Not to let himself stay down, Jaune sat up straight. "I think it'd be better for the team to stay in Vale. We don't know what's out there waiting for us, and we have people here to watch our backs." Pyrrha wasn't as sure as Jaune, but as her mother said, they didn't need to decide now.

"Let's go tell Ren and Nora about your sisters. I'm sure they'll be thrilled." She took his hand, pulling him to his feet, and headed for the door. Jaune came along, but he stopped her at the adjoining door.

"Have I said that I love you?" She froze in place. Jaune was watching her carefully, his deep eyes fixed on her. She found it very hard to speak, all of a sudden.

"N-Not in so many words…" She stammered, suddenly nervous. He'd almost said it, once before, and his actions always spoke louder. He squeezed her hand for a moment, not looking away.

"Because I do love you, Pyrrha." Not releasing her grip, she stepped close, keeping her eyes on him.

"I love you too, Jaune." She let all her anxiety drift away, knowing that she could handle anything, so long as the two of them were together. She smiled, he smiled back, and she leaned up just a tad to peck him on the lips. Nothing as passionate as early, just something to seal their words to one another.

She opened the door, and the two went to tell their teammates about the latest news from Bar.

* * *

 **Post:** By the by, if any of you are curious as to what Verte was showing Nora when JNPR left Bar, it was an early sketch of her emblem.


	27. Cold as Ice

**A/N:** Aaaand we're back to Hiatus! Chibi is on the fast turnaround, though, so we don't have to go very long. More importantly, we get to have a bit of Pyrrha again, even if it is chibi-fied. Well, before we get on with it, I'd like to recommend Constable Paperbag's "Burned": its a rewrite of "Power is Red", which was actually one the main inspirations for this story.

Thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter twenty-seven

* * *

Despite the early hour, or perhaps because of it, the Beacon Barracks were a mass of activity. Teams lined up outside the pavilions and along the cut throughs, making last minute equipment checks as they waited to leave for their missions. Near the missions board, Jaune waited with a pack of other leaders, watching as the boards updated and VIPs or escorts arrived. He could see Ren and Nora talking with Velvet and Fox Alistair, while Pyrrha was somewhere behind him with a blonde-haired girl he knew was from Haven.

Their short break from missions had only lasted a few days, as Professor Goodwitch had expressly sent them a mission last night. Much to his annoyance, all it told him was it would be an extended escort. Not where they would be, not who they would be shadowing, not _how long_ they would be in the field. He was carrying a bedroll and cooking gear in his pack, the whole team had food for two days each, Ren _and_ Pyrrha had first aid kits, along with Pyrrha's dust supply, and Nora had an emergency flare gun.

If he couldn't know _what_ to prepare for, he'd prepare for _everything_.

" _The snorkels might be overkill, but I think it gets my point across."_ He didn't appreciate being left in the dark. He also didn't appreciate being left hanging, frowning as he scanned the crowd hopelessly. At least the other leaders knew what they were looking for, but not him!

"You look like someone ruined your favorite top, kid." A smug voice came from behind him. Jaune repressed the urge to sigh, and turned around.

"Morning, Coco." He said cheerily. The tall girl was, immaculately dressed, even for the winter chill, with her bag hanging loosely in one hand and the other resting on her hip. Coco was an absolute terror on the field, and he really did admire her, but she was sometimes just a little too much. Especially at five in the morning.

"Morning to you, too. But seriously, you look like shit; what's going on?"

"We were assigned a mission, pretty bare bones on the details, you know how it is."

"Actually, I don't." She said, eyeing him over her glasses. "I've been here almost five months, Jaune, since the Attack, and I haven't been _given_ a mission once, let alone one with no details." Jaune could feel his frustration and her fear grow in equal measure under her gaze. Abruptly, Coco stepped very close to him, and he caught the urge to retreat. Give Adel one inch, and you'd never get it back. "So, you and Nikos, huh?"

"I- what?" He'd been preparing a counter to demands about what he was even doing in Vale, not _relationship questions._ "Uh, yeah. Pyrrha and I." She smirked at him wickedly.

"Good on you kid! Even I was starting to worry Nikos would do something drastic. You find out if the betting pool rumors were true?"

"How do you even know about Pyrrha and I?" He challenged indignantly, not wanting to even _think_ about the idea of money changing hands over his love life.

"Velvet told me." Coco replied easily.

"How did Velvet know?" He was generously curious now. Velvet was a friend, but his team had barely spoken to anyone since arriving, usually holed up in their house. Coco gave him a pitying look before pulling out her scroll.

"Velvet got this from Belladonna. Knowing my partner, I doubt there was a student here who hadn't seen it before you four got to Vale." He took the offered scroll, staring at it blankly. It was the living room of the Xiao Long house, specifically the couch. He was on his back with his arms thrown around Pyrrha, who was sleeping half on his chest, half in the gap between himself and couch. Part of him thought it was adorable, but he mostly recalled Pyrrha's fervent efforts to get Blake to delete the picture. The title "About time!" just rubbed salt in the wound.

"Just don't do anything I wouldn't, eh?" She elbowed him playfully, slipping the scroll away, and Jaune tried not flinch at the force of the hit. "Something about that why you four are back in Vale?" Jaune froze.

"Well, ya see…" Jaune trailed off under Coco's piercing gaze, still fighting the urge to cringe away.

"I requested their presence, Miss Adel." The whipcrack voice of Glynda Goodwitch finished, as the Headmistress strode through the crowd. Coco instantly stepped away from him, and though many of the other students practically snapped into attention, Coco remained smug and curious. Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha hurried over to him, while Goodwitch looked over the small crowd, waving hand dismissively, and students scattered to make themselves look busy.

"Miss Adel, see to your team. I believe you have a Grimm Extermination outside the south wall today?" Coco nodded, eyes hidden behind dark lenses. "Team JNPR, with me. You will be escorting me, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am." His team sounded.

"Collect your things, and follow me." She strode away then, with JNPR hurrying in her wake.

* * *

Pyrrha squinted against the morning sun, annoyingly rising right in front of their speeding ship. Glynda had spared little explanation for them as they boarding the Bullhead, simply saying they were heading deep into Grimm territory. Her mental map of Vale was less than ideal, but she judged they must be reaching the city's eastern limits soon; were she to cross the ship, Beacon would likely loom large in front of her.

Jaune held onto his own strap beside her, switching between watching the headmistress uneasily and following the snowy terrain worryingly. Ren and Nora had elected to remain seated, talking quietly in the small chairs in the back of the ship. Beacon's Headmistress held the lead position by the bay door, scanning their ship's path for any threats. Pyrrha could see the tension in the older woman's shoulders, the only hint of her preparedness to leap into action.

Its was an uncomfortably silent flight. A selfish part of her wished Jaune hadn't discovered a means to alleviate his motion sickness, as seeing to him would at least leave her _something to do_. A the moment the flap of their long coats was the loudest thing in on board.

The airship began to slow, banking down and giving Pyrrha a glimpse of the ruins of snow-capped Beacon atop their cliffs, before completing the turn. Miss Goodwitch released her strap, calmly stepping out the open door. Pyrrha and Jaune peered after her, spying the woman atop a raised portion of highway. A few flicks of her wrist, and a sizable portion was cleared of debris. She signaled up to them, and all four teens roused themselves for the jump.

She was rather pleased to see Jaune land without difficulty: airborne drops such as this were standard fare for Hunters, but Jaune often struggled at sticking the landing. She had to suppress the sudden urge to smile at remembered afternoons jumping from atop the dorm roof, acclimating him to the process. Instead, she focused on their situation, and fell into the guard formation Jaune silently signaled. Their professor watched them form up with an appreciative eye, but declined to comment. Instead, she gestured south down the road, and began to move.

The highway was abandoned: empty of both people and Grimm. All there was to be found were cars left lying on the road by evacuation, and rubble from damages portions of street. Goodwitch would stop at heavily damaged portions and set to fixing the large chunks in place with her semblance. The whole exercise made no sense to her, but her job was to watch the woman's back, and to try and learn from her.

So, they continued on, their road repair team of five, for two hours. In silence, aside from the soft crunching of ice and snow.

She suspected Jaune was letting his displeasure be known through this quiet.

Glynda had just finished moving a small pile-up out of the way when she let her own small pack drop, and she gestured for them to do so as well. Her overladen bag landed with a resounding thump, while Ren and Jaune's clanked, and she settled down beside it slowly.

"I suppose you would like to know what we're doing out here?" The professor asked without preamble. Jaune spoke up before she could agree.

"We're scouting and clearing a section of road as part of the lead-up to an assault on Beacon." He said flatly. Pyrrha stared at him.

"Very good, Mister Arc." The professor said with just a hair of warmth. "But I believe your team doesn't quite follow." He looked surprised for a moment, then caught their quizzical expressions, and reddened.

"A full-scale attempt to take Beacon can't be done by air. There's too much equipment and too many people that need to be moved: you'd have to commandeer every ship in the city to do it, or borrow a navy. It'd be easier, logistically, to direct the already needed reclamation efforts towards the eastern portion of Vale, and shuttle everything. Retake the area just below the cliffs, and a way to supply it. Vale's highways are all raised: if they're structurally sound, they can be more easily patrolled than the streets."

"Very, very good, Mister Arc. Was this our influence, or your father's?" He shrugged the question aside. "Well, your leader is partially correct. I will be trying to right some of this road, or at least prepare it for patchwork, while we as a group will also inspect possible forward bases of operations for a move into Beacon." It was at this point that Pyrrha felt the need to ask a question.

"Professor?" She began hesitantly. When Goodwitch waved her on, Pyrrha resumed. "Why the secrecy? I suppose I can understand not mentioning anything in Vale, but why not on the flight in?"

"It was a test, wasn't it?" Jaune asked in a voice that warned her, at least, he considered the whole matter less than ideal. Glynda inclined her head to him, acknowledging the point.

"I was worried word of an attempt to take Beacon would spark undue enthusiasm among the students, yes, and I had hoped a few hours in the dark would test Jaune's ability to analyze a situation. Simply because we are no longer in Beacon, does not mean you are no longer my students. Of course, any time in the field is also a chance for Pyrrha to enhance her control, something I doubt I must tell you all is important. As for why I chose to bring you, you four are trustworthy." The last caught them all off guard. Trustworthy? Was there some concern about the students? Their teacher smiled wryly at their expressions.

"You don't need to look over your shoulders in the barracks. What I mean is that you're already so involved, another matter will hardly change the situation."

" _My powers."_ Pyrrha realized. _"How we intend to take back Beacon hardly compares to what I've become involved in."_

"How long will we be out here, Professor?" Jaune's voice had lost some of its resentful heat, as the analytical portion of his mind began to unpack the mission. "Will we be scouting as a single unit, or separating?"

"Overnight, Jaune: pickup is scheduled for tomorrow evening. We'll rest and travel as a single unit, but I had intended for us to separate to expedite the mission. This is a scouting, combat is to be avoided." He nodded along, no doubt planning the most effective means of splitting JNPR for the job and exit strategies.

"May I make some recommendations, ma'am?" He asked, and the headmistress nodded. "If we split up, Pyrrha should accompany you." On one hand, Pyrrha was pleased she had predicted how Jaune's mind was working, but on the other she wasn't sure of his proposal.

"Why is that? Wouldn't it be better to have the strongest two members of the group in two separate parties? It would better ensure the safety of the groups." Goodwitch's voice was not doubting; more, she was challenging Jaune to explain her reasoning.

"Engaging the Grimm is _not_ the goal, whichever group Ren is in can avoid them entirely. So, the group without Ren needs to be as capable of fighting free of danger as possible. That puts Pyrrha with you, and Ren with Nora and I. Someone is paired with you to begin with as no one should be without a partner in this situation."

"Very good, Jaune. One might argue it would be best to not split the party at all, though." Jaune shrugged.

"You plan on splitting us, though, so that's the best way of doing it. Plan for the worst, hope for the best?" She was _more_ than familiar with those situations. The professor nodded in agreement with his assessment, rising from her resting place.

"True enough. Now, I believe we've rested enough? We'll continue on now." She gestured for them to rise, and JNPR collected their things and moved back into formation.

* * *

Now that he knew what was happening, Jaune felt far more at ease. He was still annoyed that he'd been left to prepare for so many different circumstances on short notice, but the indignant anger he'd felt towards his teacher since the morning had given way. He was on a mission, and there was no time for those feelings out here. Out here, it was them against the Grimm, and the rest could wait.

Their formation moved quietly along the road, but no longer in total silence. His team made the occasional joke, or pointed out some anomaly or oddity in the city below worth noting, and Goodwitch infrequently asked them about what training they had accomplished, or about the current state of Team RWBY. They weren't exactly at ease, deep within Grimm territory as they were, but he felt more secure. They encountered a particularly bad crash, and Goodwitch set them to watch her back as she cleared the rubble.

"Are you alright, Jaune?" Ren asked from his spot next to him, behind a dilapidated car. "You were in quite the mood earlier." Jaune flichned a tad at the question, catching the reproach in his friend's voice. He looked towards their teacher, currently righting an overturned semi-trailer, then back to Ren when he was sure the coast was clear.

"I'm better, yeah. I don't like being left in the dark, and Goodwitch… I guess I'm still angry about what happened with Pyrrha. I understand the secrecy for all this, but that doesn't mean I like it." Ren nodded in understanding, eyes sweeping the perimeter.

"How do you feel now? I doubt you'd let it be an issue, but it's not good to let these things fester."

"I got it out of my system earlier, don't worry. We're in the loop now, we're fine." A great crash came behind them, and all four members of the team spun to see the Headmistress resting the final upturned car to the side. The professor surveyed the path in front of her, then waved for them to fall in.

"We're going to have to keep working with the professor, Jaune. The mission probably isn't a good time, but you should address the issue when we get back." Ren meant well, he knew that, but he also didn't quite feel up to being pestered about the issue. He waved his hand in understanding, and hurried to his position.

The sun was beginning its descent when Goodwitch gathered them together by one of the various exit ramps. "This point will be our rendezvous, while we'll split into the teams Jaune suggested." Goodwitch withdrew her scroll, gesturing for Jaune to do the same. "Pyrrha and myself will be inspecting a large park to the south, then to the complex here. Jaune, your team will go to the school here, and move to inspect the complex here." Jaune noted all four locations on his scroll, and made a mental note for Seen to do it on their physical map as well.

"What are we looking for, besides a large space?" He asked, planning routes his team could take.

"These sights were chosen for their proximity to the roads, but they won't be as useful if the ramps surrounding them are in disrepair. The state of the buildings, obviously, is important as well. Avoid engaging them, but try and estimate the strength of the Grimm in the area. Defensibility of the site, possible resources that could be scavenged, anything that stands out." He filed away each facet, trusting Goodwitch knew what he was capable of judging.

"We will reconvene tonight. If you're unable to make the rendezvous, call or signal us, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am." All of JNPR responded.

The headmistress promptly began moving down the ramp, crop drawn. Pyrrha began to follow, but stopped after a few steps, turning back to them.

"Pyr? Are you alright?" Pyrrha answered him by firmly taking hold of his head and kissing him. Jaune's hands took hold of her waist and he kissed back with equal fervor, but before they really got into it, a polite cough sounded.

"I would hope you all could contain yourselves?" Their professor questioned, arms crossed in annoyance. Jaune, still recovering a little from the surprise, didn't respond. He could see Pyrrha flush pink, however.

"For luck." She whispered to him, before speaking in a louder voice to their teacher: "Sorry, professor." Pyrrha hurried over to the older woman, and the two continued their descent. Jaune watched for a long while, not noticing the stupid grin on his face.

"Are you gonna stare at Pyrrha all day, Jaune?" Nora asked teasingly. "Or are we gonna be ninjas?"

"I do not deserve someone so amazing…" He said under his breath, earning a pair of unnoticed sighs behind him.

"Come on, love bird, we have a job." Nora yanking on his arm finally snapped him from his reverie, and he looked back down the road. JNPR had a job to do.

* * *

Pyrrha never really considered the tactical weakness of heels on a stealth mission until today. Every step she and the professor took seemed to echo across the empty streets, even with the snow muffling them slightly, and she expected each to bring a horde down upon them. But no rampaging pack burst from around the corners as they moved: the district seemed oddly bereft of Grimm, in fact.

"Professor," she called ahead quietly to the elder woman, "where… where are the Grimm?" Glynda did not answer her immediately, instead looking up and to the west. Just above the roofs of the buildings, the CCT could be seen, with the gargantuan beast Ruby had bested atop it.

"That dragon draws the Grimm, Pyrrha. From a certain distance, the emotions of the city distract the Grimm, but so close? Beacon is flooded with them." She could remember the sight of the Grimm swarming across the Beacon grounds, and the idea of them doing so uncontested left her shuddering with rage. It was not a common emotion for her, but no less strong for it.

"Until Beacon is retaken, Vale won't be safe, will it?" She didn't need to hear her teacher's confirmation: if the dragon drew Grimm, they would continue to flow into Beacon, and from there into Vale. But the older woman did not agree with her, as she had expected. Instead, Glynda let out a sigh of frustration.

"That isn't what worries me. I am more concerned if something like this will happen again." Pyrrha's heart skipped a beat.

"A-again?"

Goodwitch looked back to her as the two moved through the low wall encircling their target, he angry plain on her face. "Cinder Fall, the woman behind this attack, escaped Beacon. In the confusion of the Attack, she and her allies escaped Vale and fled to Mistral. Professor Ozpin had not heard from Haven Academy in some time, but without the CCT, it's even more difficult for me to communicate with Professor Lionheart." There was a loud crack, and both women fell into their ready stances.

A large branch had given way under the weight of ice and snow, and the two relaxed ever so slightly. Pyrrha scanned the wide space, noting the damaged wall to the south and the large number of downed trees.

"Reports from Mistral have been alarming enough, without adding concerns of some plan against Haven." Her professor muttered angrily. Something in the situation was adding up for Pyrrha, however.

"Professor, if the attack on Beacon was to secure the Fall Maiden's powers, what would an attack on Haven accomplish? Beyond chaos, I mean." Their enemy clearly had no regard for collateral damage, but was destruction for its own sake also a goal?

Goodwitch was silent again, and Pyrrha considered it a deliberative pause.

"The Maidens are not the only fairy tale that is real, Pyrrha. There are things out there beyond what you now possess that our foe would desire. We can speak at length later, if you wish: here is not the best place or time."

" _So, I'm trustworthy, but not quite a member of the inner circle?"_ The prospect of a repeat incident in Haven had her attention, however. Regardless of their objective, the professor seemed concerned it was a real possibility. Jaune had been firm in his opinion that they should remain in Beacon, but they'd not known about this new threat.

The two Huntresses continued to scout the snow-covered fields, but Pyrrha's mind was already rushing ahead to when Glynda would explain what Haven contained, and to her talk with her team. _"If there really is a plot against Haven, we have to stop it. I can't allow this to happen again."_


	28. Struck Dumb

**A/N:** Aaaaaand we're back! Hope y'all have been doing well. I'll tell you, I certainly don't mind the fast turn-around on Chibi, and I really enjoyed the opening episode! I've also started really getting into the Fate series, and isn't that a hot mess?Well, I suppose we should get on with things,. but I'd like to take the time to recommend Random O' Panda's "One New Message", which focuses on the lives of high school AU! Jaune, Weiss, and Yang. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll probably cry a bit more: fun times.

Thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter twenty-eight!

* * *

The large complex of office buildings would work pretty well, in Jaune's opinion. The buildings were all still standing, the choke points into the courtyard were strong, the rubble on the streets would make the ramp more defensible, and the Grimm count seemed low. _"Keep watch from atop the east building, make sure there's regular patrols to the highway, and have them inspect that parking garage. This should work great."_ His study from the third story window was broken by Nora's soft prodding, drawing him back into the moment. Ren stood by the next door, waiting for Nora and he to return to their patrol. Silently, Jaune lined up behind Nora and Ren, and signaled them to resume.

The school had been a bust: between the structural damages and the weight of the snow, most of the building had collapsed. His team had made it here without issue, and he liked the odds for this site. _"I hope Pyrrha and the professor have been this lucky."_ He mused, eyes sweeping along their backtrail. They moved into the stairwell, cautious of the upper level despite having swept it on their way up.

"I've been thinking." Nora said, Magnhild hovering behind Ren.

"That you should get a coat?" Jaune interjected. "Seriously, how are you still in a skirt right now _?_ "

"Pssh, I'm _fine_ ; the cold's never bothered me. I'm pretty sure it impresses Pyrrha more than my actual semblance." Nora looked back to him with a grin. "By the way, nice job on the coat for Pyrrha: she loves it."

"Thanks, I'm sure Ren could find one for you." She seemed to consider it for a moment, but Ren spoke up from the lead.

"It's no use, Jaune, she's never needed them. Also, you were trying to tell us something, Nora?" Ren opened the door to the inner courtyard, leading them into the late evening. He paused for a moment before waving them on, not seeing any Grimm.

"What I was _saying_ is that isn't it a little weird there's no Grimm? The professor said to judge their presence, but have we seen _any_?" She gave them both a serious look as they entered the court, and Jaune began to really consider his luck. She was right: they _hadn't_ seen any.

Jaune suddenly became aware of just how open they were, and began to pick up their pace. He'd just accepted the lack of Grimm as an oddity of being near that thing on the tower, but Nora was right. They moved as quickly as the icy roads and stealth would allow, Jaune eventually instructing Ren extend his semblance just to speed them along. He felt his worries about the situation retract to an enclosed portion of his mind, saw the colors dull ever so slightly.

They'd made it almost all the way back to their ramp without seeing a single Grimm, and he had begun to consider themselves in the clear, when the first gunshots sounded. He'd recognize the crack of Milo anywhere; Pyrrha was in danger, somewhere to the south of them. The three broke into a run immediately.

"Keep going up! If they aren't on the road, we'll be able to spot them!" He cried as the gap between himself and his team grew. Not for the first time, he cursed his lack of the speed his friends showed. His shout drew Nora's attention, though, and she pulled Ren to a halt. "Nora, we don't have time! Keep going!"

"Fore, Jaune! Fore!" Nora shook her hammer above her head, and Jaune suddenly had a wave of expectant fear. With a sickening feeling, Jaune caught up to her, and braced himself. "Sorry!" She said without a trace of sorrow, and crashed Magnhild into his lifted shield.

The force of the hit, and the following blast of her grenades, propelled Jaune violently into the air. Once upon a time, the action would have left him disoriented and in shock, but being sent flying had become an uncomfortable normal experience for him. He heard the second bass report of the weapon, no doubt what sent Nora and Ren moving, as he oriented himself for the landing. His momentum was still mostly forward, just enough lift to clear the top of the ramp, and he scanned the horizon as he prepared for a rolling land.

He was fairly certain the car lazily flying through the air was where he'd find their other squad. The flare was just icing.

As the apex of his fall came and went, he focused on the landing, on long hours spent jumping from high places to Pyrrha's warm encouragement. He projected his aura just so, and managed to hit the ground in a way that _didn't_ shatter half his bones. A few rough tumbles, and he was on his feet. _"Nailed it!"_

Nora, one Ren held over her shoulder, sailed into view atop her hammer, and both managed a clean dismount before moving next to him.

"They're below, follow the flying buses!" He shouted, pointing his sword towards their edge of the raised route, just as a bus crested in the near distance.

"One more?!" Nora asked as they reached the nearest barrier, and Jaune grimly nodded.

"I'll need less distance this time." Nora grunted her agreement, holding her weapon at the ready. He braced himself, and looked towards his goal. "And this was your idea, for the record." She smiled in a way that made him _extra_ nervous, and he was flying again. Expending his aura before a fight like this probably wasn't wise, but he had a lot of it, and this was an emergency. He could see Pyrrha, positioned partially up a ruin that used to be a building, while the Headmistress stood atop it. The street in front of them was _filled_ with Grimm, stretching blocks in any direction. Goodwitch was crushing swathes of the creatures, rolling rubble and debris across the packed lane as his partner covered her from below.

"Pyrrha!" He shouted as his fall approached, and he saw red hair whip to the side as she turned. No sooner had she spotted him then he felt something take hold, his fall turning to a guided descent. Pyrrha's brief reprieve from fighting ended as a pair of Beringel pushed themselves up her rampart. The steady force guiding him didn't so much as hesitate as Milo lashed out, catching one of the tremendous Grimm in the neck. The strike left Pyrrha too exposed on the right, but he knew what was happening. When the other Beringel moved to retaliate, Pyrrha dropped him in place with his shield raised, and sword prepared to counterattack.

Were it not for the last dregs of her semblance, he'd have likely been bowled over by the hit, but he held his ground, driving the beast back with hard cuts at its arm. Milo flashed out again, and the second beast fell back into the writhing mass, already dissipating.

"You saw the flare then?" Pyrrha said, stepping up and behind him as he entered a defensive stance against the various nightmares crawling up for them.

"The car, actually." A shaking impact to his left was likely Nora and Ren touching down, and the staccato fire of Stormflower mowing down the Creeps on his left confirmed the idea. "We'll keep them below; you and Glynda do the hard work." He bashed forward with his shield, knocking a Beowolf off-balance long enough for a red and gold spear to lick over his shoulder, taking the beast in the throat.

"I love you." She called, just before a hunk of rebar and concrete the size of a horse crashed out of the ruin. Jaune watched it only long enough to judge it's threat to his balance; his team held the two easiest routes to the top. Nothing would get past him.

* * *

Pink explosions ripped across the street, rubble and abandoned trucks tumbled down the road, and blades crashed down to hammer at rising fang and claw and tail. Her head felt light and her blood pumped mercilessly in her ears, as Pyrrha ripped hole after hole into the carpet of Grimm, but they just seemed to flow back in to fill the gap.

" _There has to be a limit, eventually we'll win through. We_ will _win through."_ It was only a matter of time, she knew that. But the time wore at her. She had practiced moving a great many objects, or moving heavy ones, but the artillery work she and Glynda were performing pushed Pyrrha to her very limits.

Ren knocked away the diving blow of a Deathstalker, and Nora's hammer crushed into the creature mercilessly. Claw shattered, the abomination fell back, to be replaced by a small torrent of Creeps. On her other flank, she saw Jaune bat aside the strike of a climbing Beowolf. For a moment, Pyrrha allowed herself to watch Jaune at work.

He was not graceful, his arms did not move with the blurring speed of a full Huntsman, but the creatures dying before him were testament enough to her. His arm moved with strength, his shield with purpose. _"His shieldwork has always been strong."_ The idle thought bubbled up as she flung a dumpster into a particularly large King Taijitu in the rear ranks. The snake shrugged off the strike, and she returned her attentions to the task of culling the horde.

She and the professor had scouted both locations with ease, but this mass of beasts had fallen on them as they made their exit. They had taken up their position and sent up a flare, hoping her team would see or hear. Jaune's arrival had been utterly ridiculous, but she doubted she could question the method when it had worked. _"Him and his plans…"_ , an upset portion of her mind muttered.

A surging ran through the Grimm ranks, and she briefly saw the edges of their lines for the first time. Goodwitch collapsed the small rubble pile to their east, wiping away a decent patch of darkness, and she returned to flinging the bus around. This was the truest test of her powers: there were no holds barred. Her limits against the Grimm's numbers. At the moment, the Grimm seemed to have the upper hand, but she knew it would turn.

The professor let out a cry of warning from above, and Pyrrha followed the sight of an upturned streetlight dashing into the sky. The metal pole collided with the leading elements of a flock of Nevermore, and Pyrrha turned her attention to them as well. Part of her still dragging the great mass of rubble through the swarm below, she began to launch lengths of rebar at the flying Grimm. The task proved more difficult, as the Nevermore were not restricted as their kin below were, and Pyrrha drove more of her powers into keeping the sky free. The cursed birds just _wouldn't_ stay still!

Another cry from below once again forced her attention away, and Pyrrha felt her heart stop. The Taijitu she had been battering earlier had not been killed, making its approach under the obscuring cover of the mass. The white head had lashed out, and gotten a grip on Jaune, while the black had secured hold of Nora's hammer. Jaune had been silently dragged down off his post, while Nora dangled from her weapon, trying to free it from the creature's grasp. Ren was trying to bring it down, but the sheer mass of the horde meant he had to contend with innumerable other threats. Neither could reach Jaune.

She watched as Jaune was forced lower into the ranks of the beasts, her world growing darker even as she fired more projectiles into the masses of both snakes and birds. His legs, white jaws still clamped on them, disappeared into the writhing carpet of Grimm. A stretch of steel twice her height ruptured through the body of the Grimm, and she saw Nora drop, armed, to the edge of the mass.

Jaune swung his arm ceaselessly as the Taijitu dragged him under, but he looked back to her as the Grimm began to surround him. He didn't look fearful, merely… annoyed. As if disappearing into the horde was as inconvenient as losing his shoe, as if he would see her in just another moment.

" _Because he believes in you."_

She had grown somewhat accustomed to the bright crack of her charging up Nora, but what she released in that moment was no simple bolt. It was as if the heavens were torn open, and divine fury rained down. A bar of white scorched across her eyes, her ears deafened by the roar of sound, and she felt ripe to bursting from the tearing sensation in her chest. Even through her blindness and deafness, she forced herself to maintain this… this show of force.

" _If I have the power, I will protect them."_

* * *

When Jaune staggered to his feet, unable to hear anything beyond the ringing in his ears, his immediate instinct was to look back to the hill. Goodwitch was on her knees, but her arm still flew wildly about. Ren was similarly down, but Nora was gone. Pyrrha had collapsed, however. He bolted up the hill, uncaring for a strike that could come from behind.

" _No, no, no, no, no!"_ He thought he spoke the words as well, but he couldn't hear of the damn ringing in his ears. He scrabbled up, sheathing Crocea Mors as he took hold of Pyr, feeling for a pulse. His breath burst free once he felt it, his fears fully set at ease by the sight of her eyes fluttering behind closed lids. The ground shook, and Jaune remembered he was still in a combat situation. It pained him, but he set Pyrrha down, turning to his chokepoint.

The street was a wasteland.

It was riddled with craters, dissipating corpses, and spidering flash burns. And Grimm. Despite _whatever_ Pyrrha did, some Grimm still remained. Oh, it was a fraction of a fraction, but one was still enough to kill a Huntsman with his back turned. He also spied Nora; the air around her was viciously warped by bands of electricity as she fought her prey. Her hammer collided with a Beowolf, and the creature took off like a rocket from the supercharged connection. An Ursa Major had begun to mount his post, however, and Jaune drew his sword.

" _I still have the high ground, and any buddies it may have can't come up with him blocking the way."_ It didn't seem to have much support remaining, the Grimm were mostly focusing on the redhead berserker in their shattered midst. _"You aren't getting by, though."_ The beast took another hulking step, pulling itself forward with its trunk-like arm, but Jaune moved before it could set itself. He didn't have the speed his friends had, but he _had_ gotten stronger. His approach provoked a clumsy swipe by the bear, and he let it slide easily off his shield, pushing at the end to force the arm farther back.

He buried his sword in its supporting paw, causing the creature to rock back, unbalanced. A better fighter would have likely dived into it, carrying the Ursa to the ground, but then no one would be holding his post. He stepped back, setting his foot and waiting for it to come back into a safe range.

Faintly, he could hear bass booms, and he saw flashes of Nora in the corners of his eye. _"I'll let her have the fun, this one's all I need."_ The great bear approached again, but this time it flung itself upward, rather than step.

" _Four hundred pounds of Grimm falling directly at me isn't what I expected this morning, but I did sign up for this life."_ He hopped back so as to not be crushed on the landing, this time preparing for a more aggressive approach. The Grimm landed with a crunch, but before it could rise from the crouching stance, he had driven forward. He stabbed forward, sliding past its clutching paws, and thrust into the Grimm's chest. He withdrew the blade quickly with a half step, still inside the monster's reach, and lunged up towards the jaw. The beefy arms crushed him against its chest just as his sword drove through the roof of its mouth, and it began to carry him down in its death grip.

Jaune managed to wriggle free before the dissolving corpse could carry him wholly off the cliff, but even as he resumed his guarding, it was clear the fight was over. Ren and Nora were standing in the street, checking the other for injury, with no Grimm in sight. Looking back, he saw the professor picking Pyrrha up from the ground. Jaune tried to yell for her attention, but she didn't turn. Instead, he moved up the hill, waving. The professor looked up to him in confusion, hands on Pyr's shoulders.

"I have her!" he yelled, mouthing the words slowly. "Lead on!" The professor seemed to understand, nodding curtly and beginning to head down the road. Crouching down, Jaune took hold of Pyrrha behind her shoulders and knees, lifting her up against him. His partner, armed and armored, used to be a challenge to pick up, but the action was effortless after months of training. He moved down the slope, and found Goodwitch mouthing loudly to his team, telling them to follow.

Goodwitch took point with his team forming around him, and the party headed down the road, their last flares burning out, night setting back in.

* * *

Groggily, Pyrrha opened her eyes to find herself tucked securely into a sleeping bag, a compact dust heater radiating warmth into the tent? She wormed herself free, immensely regretting the loss of heat as she drew her arms free, and began to push towards the exit. Milo and Akouo were resting at her feet, but she didn't feel compelled to grab them: camp meant safe.

The highway was dark, though the lights of the secure portions of beacon winked in the west. Three tents were gathered close by, sheltered by a pile of cars Goodwitch had stacked when they had stopped at the rendezvous. At the mouth of the encampment, she could see Nora, no doubt on watch. However, there was another person awake. Jaune's head poked from inside the opposite tent, and he was moving out of his own before she had set foot into the night. Nora pivoted at the noise, but Pyrrha could spot her brilliant smile from hear. She waved to her, and Nora waved back, but she knew her sister had a watch to keep.

Jaune slipped into the tent silently, zipping it up to preserve the warmth. "I was starting to worry you'd be out all night, Pyr." He said cheerily. The comment made Pyrrha consider Juane's watchful position at a conveniently open tent, then to study him closer.

"Jaune, you haven't been staying up on the off chance I would wake, did you?" His embarrassed grin was answer enough. She leaned forward, pulling him into a hug. "You shouldn't have, but thank you." His arms encircled her, and the faint pressure of his grip seemed to cut away the last lines of fear. Jaune was alright.

"I love you, too." He said warmly, letting go and dropping into a seated position across from her. She preferred to fall back to her sleeping bag, reclaiming the remaining warmth. "So, how are you?" He asked, once she was comfortable.

"I feel as if I just carried Beacon to Mistral, but nothing _hurts_. I'm just tremendously worn. What happened? I did something?" He nodded, smiling proudly at her. It was a smile she'd seen on her mother more than once; it was honest pride, unmarked by ulterior motives.

"You blew the street apart, Pyrrha. Glynda says she hasn't seen a discharge of force like that since the first time she saw a Maiden fight. We were all deaf for a few minutes, you blew out our eardrums, and Ren and Glynda were completely disoriented for the fight's end. What you didn't blast to smithereens, Nora crushed like a bug. And I got one big one, that was fun." She smiled at the playful self-jab, and gestured for him to go on.

"You were out, and I'm not surprised, so we carried you back to the rendezvous and set up camp. We'll scout the second set of sites in the morning, like planned, and extract. If you're feeling weak, then you can stay in and one team will go out, but don't worry."

"I think I'll be alright to work in the morning: I just need a good night's sleep." With how tired she was, she would enjoy it!

"I'm happy to hear that: you really had me worried, you know?" His voice was still warm, but she could see the concern in his eyes. She patted the spot next to her, and he moved closer. Once inside her range, she darted out, planting a swift kiss on his lips.

"I'm sorry to have worried you, Jaune, but I knew you were counting on me. You had me worried with your entrance, but we both came out fine." He grinned winningly, and she allowed him to dip in for a return kiss of his own.

"Well, I certainly couldn't leave you waiting, could I?" She suppressed the urge to laugh, and failed. She snorted, to her annoyance, but that only drew a quiet laughter from Jaune. She managed to get control of herself after a moment, and stared down to her feet, recalling less pleasant topics.

"Jaune, we need to discuss a few things with the professor when we get back, but you and I also have to discuss a few things as well, alright?" Looking over, he was watching her worriedly. "Nothing bad!" She said on instinct, though she still feared he would prefer to stay at Vale. "Just… it's about these missions." Jaune didn't look away, but his expression did ease to simple curiosity.

"Okay, Pyr, I'll remember. I'll leave you to get some sleep, alright?" He began to rise, but some part of Pyrrha compelled her to speak.

"You don't _have_ to sleep over there." Jaune froze faster than if he was encased in ice.

" _Oh great, you've really done it now, Nikos!"_ She heard a panicked voice shout in her head as she watched Jaune's back. Even _she_ was unsure just what she was proposing, but "Pyr" had decided to raise this issue regardless! Slowly, breaking through the ice, Jaune turned back to her.

"I…" He looked to the floor, and she could see his blush even in the dark. "I really want to say yes, Pyrrha. I think Nora would understand. But I don't think the professor would be too happy about it, not after this morning." Memory of their Headmistress' critical gaze returned then, and Pyrrha felt herself flush with embarrassment.

"Maybe you're right…" She mumbled, looking back to her feet.

"But… once we're back in Vale?" She looked back up; Jaune was still a tremendous shade of pink, but he was watching her hopefully. She tried to speak, but her voice failed her then. Instead, she nodded with absolute confidence. Jaune smiled again at her, oh how she loved that smile, and he was off.

Pyrrha collapsed back to the ground, snuggling into the warmth, grinning like a madwoman.

" _I can't wait to get back to Vale."_


	29. Words of Warning

**A/N:** Aaaaand we're back! I do hope you've all been doing well? Things have been a little crazy on my end, so here's to it all leveling out soon, yeah? Well, before we get under way, I'd like to give a shout out to WarrenDSherman, author and artist: his "From Embers to Dust" is an exceptionally well-written RWBY story featuring Dark Souls elements, and his art on tumblr is top-notch.

Thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter twenty-nine!

* * *

The flight into Vale's safe zone was practically a party, compared to the flight in. Nora spent most of it building up the already monumental fight into something of even more Nora-esque proportions. The whole team laughed and sniffed smugly at the whole fight, dismissing even the notion they had been in danger. The Headmistress said nothing, but she watched them with the expression of a cat that got the cream. Meanwhile, he and Pyrrha had opted to exchange grinning, red-cheeked glances whenever they thought the others weren't watching too closely. Jaune didn't expect…certain things to happen, not with her mother and their teammates under the same roof, but he wouldn't be opposed to picking up where Thetis had so rudely interrupted.

Unfortunately, JNPR couldn't go off to celebrate their successes quite yet: Goodwitch and Pyrrha needed to discuss a few things. Pyrrha had not elaborated, there was kind of a limit on what they could talk about. Jaune spotted Blanche as he made his way out of the airfield, but with the pace Glynda has set, all he could do was signal he would try and call. Goodwitch's unceasing stride didn't hesitate once during the long march back to the requisitioned office Beacon now called home.

JNPR again found themselves lined across from their teacher on the hard, wooden stools. Their jovial mood had lasted well into the room, despite the brisk pace, but began to fade away as Goodwitch silently scribbled on after-mission reports for several minutes.

When they finally fell silent, Nora's last attempt at humor dying prematurely, the professor set down her notes. She dragged a hand through her tied back hair in frustration, then sat up straight.

"I suppose I must begin with why the Maiden Powers are pursued." Jaune leaned forward in his stool, eager to learn what other possible motives could be needed after what he had seen. "There exist four items of power, which Ozpin referred to as Relics. The Relics of Knowledge, Choice, Creation, and Destruction; the person who wields them holds tremendous power in their respective categories. These relics would obviously be sought, so they've been hidden away; they are stored beneath each of the Huntsman Academies, behind doors only a specific Maiden can open. We believe Cinder Fall sought the Fall Maiden's power so she could secure the Relic of Choice, hidden at Beacon."

All four students watched the professor with blank faces.

Ren was the first to break the silence, beginning just as the professor took a breath to resume. "Is the Relic at Beacon safe? Doesn't Cinder have some portion of those powers?" Jaune had been thinking more about _where_ in Beacon it was, but Ren's question certainly was an important one. Glynda hesitated, but she eventually answered.

"Professor Ozpin, as I understand, went to extra lengths to secure the Relic of Choice. Sadly, I do not know if Cinder Fall could recover it, or even the exact location of the Relic's Vault. Ozpin kept that secret to himself, and…" She gestured her helplessness at that problem. "Next, I must tell you _who_ we are facing."

" _Cinder Fall. She was the one behind the attacks on Amber and Beacon."_ Jaune thought immediately.

"The woman behind the attack, we believe, is not working of her own initiative. She serves another." The older woman's face grew dark, but she did not look away. "This is one of the greatest secrets in the world, students: it cannot be shared with anyone.

"The Grimm are _not_ mindless. They serve someone: a creature who calls herself Salem."

If a pin dropped, it would be deafening.

" _Salem? Who… what… what?"_ Goodwitch gave them some time to absorb it, if that was even remotely possible, but resumed shortly.

"To our knowledge, no one beyond our circle is aware of this; Salem herself has jealously guarded the knowledge, and frankly, it is too dangerous now. We do not know her reasons why, but Salem seeks to destroy mankind, and it appears she has now settled on using the Relics to that aim. Her agents attempted to steal the Fall Maiden's powers and attacked Beacon. With Qrow and Ozpin… no longer with us, our circle is restricted. I cannot leave Vale, nor can Ironwood leave Atlas." The professor stopped again, took a steadying breath, and met each of their eyes in turn.

"I'm asking you to go to Mistral, learn what's happening in Haven, and assist Professor Lionheart in ensuring the Relic of Knowledge's safety."

* * *

Pyrrha's heart was hammering in her chest, the beat almost loud enough to overwhelm the torrent of questions shouting in her mind.

" _Relics? Vaults? Haven? Salem? What have I become involved in? Who are the players, what are the rules?"_ She was utterly failing to come to even the slightest bit of control over the situation, which only made the matter worse. Nora beside her finally cracked.

"What was that about a Master Grimm?" She asked in a high and utterly confused voice. Their professor looked down at her desk for a moment, guilt playing across her face, but she returned Nora's wide-eyed gaze.

"Salem is her name. She is, to the best of my knowledge, an intelligent Grimm. Possibly the oldest Grimm in existence, and their master. They don't all act under her command at all times, but she is able to control them. She also, surprisingly, has human lieutenants: what could lead a man to work for the creature bent on humanity's destruction is beyond me."

Pyrrha couldn't comprehend it either. _"What malformed soul could arrive at the decision to destroy all humanity?"_ Putting that particular piece of disturbing news aside, Pyrrha decided to finally speak up.

"You want us to go to Mistral?" It was the only piece of information she'd so far received she had a strong grasp on. The professor nodded in affirmation.

"Without the CCT, I can't reliably reach Professor Lionheart; I need someone on the ground who can help him. Leo is a good man, but…" Pyrrha recalled the man from her visit to Haven. He lacked the presence Ozpin had; he was a more nervous man, uncomfortable with a crowd. He was a respected Huntsman in his time, however, and he came to the position with the recommendation… of Professor Ozpin.

Professor Lionheart's appointment suddenly made so much more sense to her.

Jaune finally seemed to find his voice, though. "Why us?" His voice was strained, likely from the stress of running through the implications of their teacher's confessions. She couldn't help but think the question an odd one, though: who else was there beyond them?

"Your team has become embroiled in this, Jaune." Her voice was consoling, almost apologetic. "Pyrrha especially has become a part of this. There are a limited number of people I can reach who I both trust with these secrets and have faith in to be able to act on them. This is a terrible burden I'm asking of you all, I know, but it _is_ a request. I will not make you take this mission." Goodwitch remained focused on Jaune, watching her partner carefully. Jaune himself was unnaturally still, shoulders hunched and rigid.

"You're an exceptionally gifted group of young men and women, with a powerful sense of what is right. Very few Hunters inspire as much confidence in me as Team JNPR does, let alone among your fellow students." She was flattered by the comment, but Pyrrha forced herself to remain focused on the issue at hand. "You don't need to answer now, in fact I _won't_ accept an answer now. But consider it, please. And thank you for your help on this last mission: our work will help greatly with Vale and Beacon."

Of course, that wasn't the end of the conversation. All four of them repeatedly had Goodwitch go over the Salem and these Relics, trying to cope with the information. It was nearly an hour before JNPR, still barely at terms with the revelations, silently returned to their house. Her mother spotted the tension when they returned immediately.

"Is everything alright?" She asked, moving beside Pyrrha moments after the team had removed their winter gear. "Did something happen on the mission?"

Pyrrha laid a calming hand on her mother, forcing a weak smile. "We're alright, mother. There were some… complications, but no one is hurt. Mostly, we're just worn." Her mother watched all four of them with the suspicious eyes of a Huntress, but yielded when no one showed signs of disagreeing.

"Well, at least you all came back well. Ren, would you mind if I cooked tonight?" Ren had taken to cooking most of the household's meals when they were all together, but he rather frantically accepted her offer. Her mother smiled bravely, shooing them towards their rooms. 'I'll come get you when it ready. For now, it looks as if you all need some rest." Hard missions were not a new thing to Thetis Nikos, she wouldn't push them after one.

Pyrrha showered mechanically, barely noticing the hard water on sore muscles. _"Mistral. We need to save Mistral? Cinder Fall could be there as well…"_ She tried to rest while Nora showered, but her mind simply couldn't stop racing over the revelations: a sentient Grimm, artifacts of uncontrolled power, a secret mission to possibly saver her home.

When everyone was refreshed, they met in her and Nora's room for a team meeting. She sat on her bed, hair still the slightest bit damp, as Jaune and Ren took spots across from her and Nora. All four of them were no doubt nervous wrecks, still physically exhausted from their mission, and now confronted with this new challenge. They struggled to look to one another, eyes dipping to the floor or the ceiling anxiously.

"We can't go."

All three looked to Jaune. His head was hung, hands resting on his knees in defeat. "Vale still needs us, and Mistral is too dangerous." When Jaune looked up to them, there was a burning in her eyes that left her fighting to inch away from him. "We can't go."

He spoke with the same commanding tones he used in the field, as if he could _will_ them to remain here. She knew, _knew_ , that she couldn't side with him on this.

"I think we should." Pyrrha met his hard stare with a regretful one. She could feel Ren and Nora looking concernedly between them. Jaune's expression soured, but he remained firm.

"I agree with Pyrrha." Nora said finally, looking to Jaune.

"As do I." Ren followed quickly, though he remained focused on the floor. Jaune looked between them, his face briefly dipping to shock before he reigned it back under control. Pyrrha did her best to keep any negativity from her expression. She knew how he was feeling: backed into a corner, unsure what to do, angry, scared. She'd been there a few months ago, talking with Jaune outside the fairgrounds.

"We can't do this, guys. Please." His tone was still strong, but she could see an edge of fear in his eyes. "Beacon needs us, it's our home, we can't just leave the job half-finished! And Mistral's a mess, we'd be in over our heads over there."

Nora, normally so chipper, seemed so dour as she listened to Jaune. When he stopped, she took up the challenge. "None of us want to leave Vale behind, Jaune, but everyone else can handle it. Mistral and Haven are in a worse spot now, we keep hearing that! We might even be able to deal with Haven and get back here in time to help with Beacon."

"Mistral may be more dangerous," Ren interjected, "but we're not helpless. As Hunters, we're more prepared for these kinds of things, aren't we? Danger isn't something we should be afraid of; prepare for, yes, but not fearful of." Jaune watched both of them incredulously.

"Jaune…" She said softly, but he stood up.

"No, no we're not doing it. We're _not._ " He started pacing the room, like a caged beast, and Pyrrha began to feel some of her restraint slip.

"Jaune, we have to talk about this; this is an important step for us."

"It's a bad idea, Pyrrha!" He snapped. She was mildly taken aback by the force of his answer, but he instantly stepped away, looking at her feet in embarrassment. "I'm sorry."

She held a calming hand towards him, gesturing to his chair. "It's alright, Jaune. Sit down, please." He gingerly returned to his seat, looking more than a little like a scolded child.

"Jaune, tell us why we shouldn't go." He started to talk, but she overran him. "Tell us why you _really_ think we shouldn't. You care about Beacon, but that's not why." If it was just about Beacon, he wouldn't be behaving like this. No, something was eating at Jaune.

Jaune studied his hands for a moment for before returning to his team, sweeping across all three of them.

"I'm scared."

* * *

"I'm scared." There, he'd said it. His friends watched him for more though, of course. So, he took a deep breath, and dove right in.

"If we do this, then we're part of a war. We're Hunters, I know we take risks, but this will make us into something else. We do this one thing for Glynda, and then she'll ask us to do another thing, and another, and another. We'd stop just being normal Hunters: we'd be soldiers." He looked back and forth between them, looking to see if the implication was setting in.

"Soldiers don't do favors, soldiers get orders. Soldiers aren't collateral, soldiers are targets." It was his team that looked away from him, then, as they thought over what he said.

Pyrrha was the first one to break the silence. Her eyes were sharp, firm but not angry. "Jaune, I'm scared too, but we can do this." He started to shake his head, she just didn't get it, but she kept going. "We're all better fighters than we were during the Attack, and we'll have support for the Headmaster, and my powers."

"They're the problem!" He shouted again, and immediately bit his own tongue to stop himself. Shouting down his girlfriend, what kind of man did his parent raise? "Sorry."

"Jaune, what do you mean?" Pyrrha wasn't happy about it either.

"Pyrrha, what you did yesterday was amazing. It's honestly the most terrifying thing I've ever seen." She watched him carefully, seeing he wasn't trying to flatter her "If she really did steal part of the Maiden's powers, Cinder Fall can do that too. If she had succeeded, she would have been _even more_ powerful. And she _works for someone._ She _takes orders_ from someone, she's _scared_ of someone. And Goodwitch is asking us to _fight_ that someone."

Nora spoke up, leaning over her footboard towards him. "If Salem controls the Grimm, Jaune, we're already fighting her. We just didn't know it."

"Yeah, but we weren't the focus. If we do this, then-" Pyrrha interrupted him.

"I'm the Fall Maiden: Salem will never stop hunting me." He snapped his jaw shut. Pyr's arms were crossed angrily, and her firm stare was starting to drift to glare. "I'm already involved, Jaune, and I can't get out. I won't get out. This is the right thing to do: Mistral needs us."

"Pyr," he tried to start again, but she wouldn't give him an edge. Frankly, he couldn't blame her.

"Don't 'Pyr', me, Jaune. Mistral is as much my home as Beacon is; you wouldn't leave Bar in danger just because it was long odds, would you?" Of course he wouldn't, which only drove her point home.

Just because she scored a touch, didn't mean Pyrrha was going to let up, though. "You're right that, if we do this, they'll likely come to use for help again. However, there's _already_ no backing out for me: I'm a part of this. So, I'm going to go to Mistral, whether or not you come with me."

Jaune was on his feet in an instant, a panicking cold crushing his heart. "Don't you ever think I'm going to let you leave me behind, Pyrrha." Pyrrha only realized what she was threatening then, her eyes going wide as saucers. He held her gaze for a long moment, and he knew they were both back there. A dark, metal coffin, lying on the ground while their home was destroyed.

He found his voice again, though it wavered. "I love you, Pyrrha. I love all of you, and I'll be dead and _rotting_ before I have to watch you all risk your lives without me again." Ren's hand on his shoulder shook him from his trance, and he turned to see his brother pulling him back to his chair.

He took his seat. They were all quiet again.

"I didn't mean it like that." Pyrrha said in a rushed voice.

"I know you didn't." He said back, yet again unable to meet their gazes. _"Well, you've made a real dog's dinner of this, Arc."_ He scolded mentally.

"Jaune." Ren said calmly, and he forced himself to look up: he made it to Ren's knees. "As terrible as it is, Pyrrha is right: we can't back out. We've been committed to this cause, even if we didn't realize it. Even if it wasn't the case, though, I would still say we should do it. I've lost my home twice now, both times at the hands of the Grimm. I won't let someone else face this problem if I can stop it.

"We'll be in danger in Mistral, and yes, moreso than here or in our careers as Hunters, but _someone_ has to take these risks. You wouldn't pass this off to RWBY, you'd go fight." Damnit, he was right on that point.

"And, frankly, we're all scared. I can't _bear_ the thought of losing you, or Pyrrha, or Nora. That's why I want to do this, though. If we can defeat Cinder Fall, if we can protect Mistral, then Salem is on the back foot. It's not 'safe', but that's not a real concept for us, is it?" He wanted to say Ren was wrong, that Vale was safe, that Beacon was safe.

But he knew they weren't.

He looked back to his team. They're minds we made up, he could see it; they were going to go.

" _So, this is what my sisters felt like."_ He thought miserably, letting his head drop again.

There was a brief knock, and Thetis peeked in. She instantly caught the mood of the room, but she didn't back down. "Dinner's ready: time for a break, all of you." She bustled them all out, and Jaune couldn't decide if he was relieved or not for their meeting to have been broken up. It hadn't been _officially_ resolved, but he could read the writing on the wall.

The dinner, unsurprisingly, was a miserable one. He and Thetis had been doing better lately, but she clearly felt lost with them in such a state. None of them could really explain the issue, either. So, Mrs. Nikos trudged through the bad mood, giving up on small talk. Jaune was too busy doing battle with his own fears, anger at his teachers, and disappointment in himself.

"Jaune, would you help me with the dishes?" Thetis asked nonchalantly as the five of them began to clear the table. "Helping with the dishes" had long been a cover in his household for "get a private talking to", and Jaune suspected it was only fair. He dutifully collected the plates from his team, but Pyrrha took hold of him as he stepped by.

"Could we talk? Tonight?" She asked quietly, still focused on the table.

"I think we should." He said miserably. She released him, and he moved into the kitchen.

Surprisingly, they really did clean the dishes. In his own experience, this would have been where he cleaned, and Vi talked about how irresponsible he was, or Rouge telling him to not do something stupid in school. Once they were all set to dry, however, Thetis turned to him. She leaned against the cabinet, watching him clinically as he dried his hands.

"I'm not a fool, Jaune, I recognize that the four of you are involved in something, and that you aren't able to speak of it. I assume whatever this is reared its ugly head on the mission?" He nodded his head dully. "Jaune, I'll not have you slouching like that while we talk." The stern voice pulled Jaune straight, instantly reminding himself of his father's "officer's voice."

"I'm sorry, Thetis. We had a team meeting, and it got a little heated…"

"You didn't insult my daughter." Her voice was more a threat than anything else.

"No! No, but… I was stupid about it." Thetis' eyes drilled into him, but Jaune didn't flinch away.

"You're going to make this right." She said simply.

"Of course I will, I love her." Thetis blinked slowly at that, and Jaune had the sudden realization Thetis might not have heard him say that before. "I love Pyrrha, ma'am. Losing her is the most terrifying thought I have, she means the world to me." His heart was raw, and he struggled to keep any kind of composure when he spoke.

Slowly, Thetis began to talk, unsure of her own direction. "Pyrrha is a sensitive girl, she's far more emotional than she lets on. I don't think it would surprise you to learn I was concerned when you first came up, Jaune. I didn't believe you were someone she could rely on."

He wasn't surprised, and shrugged his indifference to it. "I've never been the strongest fighter, and I'm not the brightest guy, either. But Pyrrha… I knew I needed to make this right the moment I messed up. As soon as we're done here, I'm going to go talk to her."

"I think I've been wrong about you too many times, Jaune." Thetis said quietly, watching him intently. He felt the need to squirm under those eyes, but he held firm. "Go. Apologize to my daughter; she'll be a wreck tomorrow if she goes to bed without dealing with this. If you can fix this, I'll pretend it didn't happen, alright?"

He smiled apologetically, but Thetis waved him on like he was some kind of puppy, and he headed out the door.

Nora answered when he knocked, stepping back to let him in. Pyrrha was already abed, but she sat up as he moved in.

"I'll be with Ren." Nora said simply, stepping past Jaune, patting him on the shoulder before she closed the door.

He stood nervously at the door, watching Pyrrha watching him.

" _Alright Jaune, don't screw this up. Only the most important relationship in your life on the line, no pressure."_


	30. Two to Tangle

**A/N:** Aaaaaand we're back! In good time, while I'm at it. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I hope that you all can look forward to a pleasant day, and I hope that this chapter will help in that pursuit! I'll be releasing a one-shot today, tied to another writer here on FFN, so check it out if you'd like! I'd also love to take the time to recommend strayphoenix's "Your Fonder Heart", a wonderful story that recently made the migration from AO3 to here.

Thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter thirty!

* * *

Jaune stood stiffly by the door, while she remained curled up in her bed. All dinner, she had worried over the meeting's result and her partner's clear distress. He'd lost his temper, and while he'd apologized immediately for it, it didn't mean the source of the trouble was gone. The last thing she wanted was to force Jaune down this road; after fighting so long for what _she_ wanted, taking choice from someone so dear was not an option.

Jaune started towards the desk, likely to use the chair, but she patted the space in front of her. "Come on, Jaune." She tried to keep her voice calm, friendly. He smiled nervously, but joined her on the mattress. The intimacy of their closeness seemed to diffuse the tension of the moment, thankfully, as stiffness leaked out of Jaune's shoulders. He captured one of her hands in both of his, and focused onto her with a serious, but not grim, expression.

"I shouldn't have lost my cool earlier. The three of you were under just as much pressure as me, and none of you started shouting. It wasn't right and I'm sorry." He squeezed her hand gently, letting guilt show plainly on his face. Apologies were the first step in this, she supposed, and she gripped his hands back.

"I spoke without thinking, Jaune. I know how you feel about the prospect of not being with us, and I shouldn't have implied you would leave us behind. I'm sorry as well." She returned his anxious smile from earlier then, hoping they could dispel this fearful air. It seemed to work, as Jaune unconsciously scooted closer to her, his expression gaining strength.

"I… I still don't like the idea of going to Mistral. I have this horrible feeling in my gut every time I consider it, even though I _know_ we're going to have to do it." She felt herself brighten at hearing him admit the team would go, but he wasn't through. "It hit me, right before your mother came in, that this is just like with my family and I, isn't it? I want us to stay for my own fears when we can do so much more good if we go. And, I don't really have a real choice in the matter."

"Jaune", she placated, "you always have a choi-" he leaned forward then, pulling her close.

"If it's between being with you or not, I'll take you every time. There's nothing I'd choose over you, Pyrrha." She rested her head in the crook of his neck, returning his embrace. For a long while, they simply held each other, showing in action what words would fail.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly into his shoulder. "I didn't mean to set us on this, I was just trying to do the right thing." He ran his hand gently through her hair as she spoke, easing her fears.

"I know, I know. You didn't do anything wrong, Pyr, none of this is your fault." He pulled back then, hands still resting on her shoulders. "Rushing off to go fight people with mythical powers working for an evil overlord isn't exactly what I had in mind when I decided on Beacon." She couldn't help but laugh at his expression. "But, it gave me Ren, and Nora, and team RWBY. Most importantly, it gave me you, so I came out on top in that deal. I'll save the grumbling for when I'm stuck with Goodwitch and her people."

"If it makes you feel better, I'll promise to _not_ accept more mystical powers without telling the team first?" It was Jaune's turn to laugh, snorting loudly before leaning back, resting on his hands.

"I'll take that deal!" He laughed again, looking up to the ceiling briefly before returning to her. "This went a lot better than I expected?" She tilted her head to the side, considering.

"It probably helps we _want_ this to go well, Jaune." He nodded his agreement, then stretched towards her again, his lips brushing against her forehead.

"I'll see you in the morning, then, and you can tell your Mom I apologized. I love you." He scooted to the edge of the bed, but she caught his hand before he stood up. She felt her face warming by the second, but with the weight of her worries gone, she felt bold.

"I seem to recall you agreeing to keep me company once we were in Vale again?" She smirked playfully, patting the space next to her. Her partner smiled dopily, his face flushing lightly as well, but he stood up anyway. She thought he was about to turn down her generous offer when he spoke up.

"I need to let Nora know, and I gotta change!" She nodded in approval, and watched him giddily take off for the door.

* * *

Jaune ignored Nora and Ren's stares as he gathered his pajamas and scroll, disappearing into the shared bathroom; they'd been sharing a room most of their lives, one more time wouldn't be weird. He'd spent the better part of the last hour stewing over the team fight earlier, so Pyrrha's declaration that he spend the night in her room was a complete flip how he expected the night to go. He almost toppled over twice while changing, but he felt he had every right to be giddy. _"Just this once, it went according to the plan!"_

Emerging in the shirt and shorts he'd taken to after JNPR's "onesie" talk, Jaune immediately spotted Pyrrha. She made a little more room on the bed and waved him over. Jaune sat down next to her, trying to not look as eager as he felt. He slid beneath the sheets, feeling Pyrrha's leg press lightly against his own as he settled next to her. They'd fallen asleep talking on the couch before, but that didn't quite have the same feel as this. This was somehow more real.

"Hey." He said, watching her position herself closer to him in the just wide enough bed.

"Hello." She replied, smiling coyly. It took Jaune's brain a few moments to bounce back from that smile, but it eventually recalled that is wasn't really that late.

"Do you… wanna watch a movie?" He asked, not quite daring to ask for anything more romantic. _"Slow and steady wins the race, Jaune."_ Pyrrha apparently agreed, as she stretched beneath the covers before resting her head on his shoulders.

"You pick something." She snuggled closer, and Jaune slid an arm behind her as he dug out his scroll. Finding a movie would probably be easier with both hands, but he would just have to make due with one. Marron must have gotten hold of his scroll back home, because he didn't remember downloading so many sappy romances.

" _Well, I guess that works in my favor, now; an action movie is right out, that's for sure."_ He picked one at random, but paused when another piece fell into place. "Nora and my sisters were trying to matchmake us, weren't they?" He looked down to his partner, who'd been slowly curling herself against his side. The bright humor in Pyr's eyes were answer enough, and he let out a soft groan before starting the movie.

" _We're going to go off to fight people with unspeakable powers bent on the world's destruction. We'll probably be out gunned, we'll be outnumbered, and we'll definitely be going in blind."_ Pyrrha had rested her head on his chest, watching the scroll propped against his knee, and had pulled his arm around her waist and into her grip. He settled his cheek on her head lightly, focusing on the B-list movie and the girl in his arms.

" _It's worth it."_

…

A soft tapping woke Jaune up in the morning. He blearily opened his eyes to red. Soft, silken red that had also been irritating his nose all night. He was on his side, Pyrrha pressed against him with his arms wrapped around her. She was still sleeping, but the light knock sounded again behind him. It was probably Nora, he decided, trying to be polite before coming in. He gingerly freed one hand from Pyrrha, the other was hopelessly asleep under her, and managed to find the scroll where he had left it once they grew tired of the movie.

" _You can come in_." He messaged Nora. " _Pyrrha's sleeping_." Jaune considered if he actually wanted to get up himself, but he felt compelled to remain. A few moments later, the bathroom door opened, and Nora peeked in hesitantly, one hand obscuring her eyes. Jaune rolled his exaggeratedly.

"Well _I_ didn't know if you two would be up to… stuff!" Nora whispered at him as she crept to her dresser. Jaune looked to be sure Pyr's breathing hadn't changed, then back to Nora.

"Besides you two, her mom is in this house!" He replied, just as quietly. Nora shrugged in a way that made him mildly uncomfortable, so he decided to ignore it, and snuggled back into position against Pyrrha. His girlfriend sighed contentedly, which justified his opinion.

"Pfft, you guys." Nora said teasingly behind him. "If you stay in too long, Pyrrha's mom's gonna burst in with Molossus and a pregnancy test." Jaune shuddered at the thought, but decided he would take his chances. The bathroom clicked shut, and he nestled his head into the lavender scented bed of red it had called home, letting the prospect of a lazy day in bed lull him back to sleep.

The second time he woke up, it was a buzzing sound near him. His eyes blearily opened again, and Jaune yet again tired to stealthily fish behind himself for his scroll. Bringing it back into his vision, he saw Blanche was calling. Jaune yet again considered getting up, but it was so warm in bed…

Blanche opened her mouth almost as soon as he answered, but Jaune made a quiet shushing. "My team's asleep, how are you?" Blanche let out a tired sigh, but brought her scroll closer.

"I'm doing fine", she said quietly, "I was more concerned with my little brother who forgot to call me yesterday." He tired to smile innocently. "You guys looked bushed at the depot, I wanted to see if everything was alright." His sister's eyes tried to scan as much of him as possible then, before she looked back to his face. "You _are_ alright, right?"

"Sorry, things got a little hectic last night, I didn't mean to forget. We had a mission, it was a tough one, but we came back fine. Everything's okay now." There, an answer without actually explaining anything. His teachers would be so proud at how good he was at that now.

"Everything is okay _now_? That implies it wasn't for a while." Damn Blanche and her Arc stubbornness! Jaune thought for a moment, trying to consider what to say.

"Is that Blanche?" Came Pyr's drowsy voice from behind his scroll. Jaune felt the blood drain from his face yet also rush back in a fury, while Blanche came to curious attention.

"Yes?" He said nervously over her shoulder, prompting Pyrrha to roll over onto her other side, facing him through the screen. Her eyes were heavy with sleep and her hair was a mess, but she waved one hand at him expectantly. Jaune hesitated, and his scroll was encapsulated in a shimmering blackness, spinning around in his hand.

"Good morning, Blanche." Pyrrha said warmly. Jaune saw Blanche's mouth open fractionally, then close as his sister leaned back from the scroll. "Jaune and I had a disagreement last night, but we talked things out."

"Pyrrha?" Blanche finally said, but failing to actually form a question. Meanwhile, Pyrrha continued on with whatever she was up to.

"It's wonderful to hear from you and I'd love to know how the girls are, Noire hasn't called me since last week", Pyrrha stopped to cover a small yawn, "but would you mind if I kept Jaune for another hour or so? I'm still rather tired from yesterday." Jaune dumbly watched Blanche dumbly watch Pyrrha, wondering if he ever used that expression.

Without saying anything, Blanche hung up, and Pyrrha settled his scroll beside her own. She smiled winningly at him, then nuzzled into his chest. "Pyrrha," he tried, but she cut him off.

"Oh, hush. Less talking, more snuggling." Pyrrha followed her own advice, snaking arms around Jaune to hold him closer. He couldn't imagine his _sternum_ of all things were a comfortable place to rest your forehead, as he began to run a hand along her back.

"Are you sure you're comfortable there?" He asked, barely holding in a chuckle.

"I'll be comfortable anywhere, if you're there." She said, determinedly trying to fall back asleep. Pyrrha's wonderful resting form once again made a _very_ solid argument for sleep, so Jaune pulled the blanket higher over them and closed his eyes.

* * *

Pyrrha was having a wonderful dream featuring Jaune carrying her away on horseback to the world's largest chocolate cake when she was rudely interrupted.

"I know you shared a room at Beacon, but I do hope this was not the normal sleeping arrangement." Her mother's stern voice cut through the sleepy haze, a response ingrained by years of early mornings. She pulled her head back and up from beneath the covers, finding her mother watching them from beside the desk. Jaune, she saw, had seemingly lost all of his blood: probably as a result of her mother having Molossus slung over her shoulder.

"M-Mrs. N-Nikos, i-it isn't what it looks like!" Jaune stammered, sliding up and away from her mother, back pressing against the headboard. Pyrrha, now awake by the shock, realized it probably wasn't a good look: her sleeping in the same bed as her boyfriend, with her head under the covers.

"It certainly isn't!" She cried, sitting up and trying to position herself between her mother and Jaune. "I was just sleeping in, mother, we weren't… we weren't _doing_ anything." Her mother crossed her arms, unconvinced. She could faintly hear Jaune mutter something about Nora "being right", but she could deal with that later.

She had a beau to keep safe from her mother.

"Mother, I promise you that Jaune and I weren't doing anything improper." She said in her most reasonable tone, ready to bend the rifle like a pretzel if it came to that. "Jaune and I simply fell asleep watching a movie." That wasn't _entirely_ truthful, as they switched to more romantic activities about halfway through, but nothing they hadn't done elsewhere! Less, considering the last time Thetis had visited this room.

Her mother continued to scowl at Jaune quite fiercely, but she eventually gave a defeated sigh. "I suppose I _did_ tell you to make things right with Pyrrha. No more of this, though, yes? I'm not afraid to have the boys switch rooms with me." Both he and Pyrrha nodded vigorously. "I swear, we respected things like this in my day." She muttered as she closed the door behind her.

Once Pyrrha was certain her mother was gone, she leaned towards Jaune. "They respected these things _so much_ , I was born seven months after my parent's wedding." Jaune snorted loudly, and bit down on his hand to keep from breaking out in a laugh sure to draw her mother back. She let out her own giggle, which most certainly didn't include a snort, and reluctantly got out of bed. "I do think we need to get ready for the day, Jaune. It's almost," her scroll flew to her hand as she began to rifle through her wardrobe, "Oh dear. Noon." Jaune whistled behind her.

"Didn't think we slept _that_ long. But, it was a long mission. Hmm, what needs to be taken care of." Jaune held the door for her into the bathroom, eyes distant as he ran through a checklist. They both stepped in, and Jaune knocked on the door to his room. Nora sounded from the other side almost immediately. "Love you." He said easily as he opened the door.

"Alright, alright, break it up!" Nora said rambunctiously, pushing into the bathroom and herding Jaune into his own room before closing the door on him. "Pyrrha, you're _supposed_ to be the responsible one." Pyrrha refused to be baited by Nora this early in the… the noon. Instead, she stuck out her tongue and turned on the hot water. Nora returned the gesture before stepping into their room.

Pyrrha stepped back to the door to the boy's room, though, opening it just a crack. "Jaune?" She questioned.

"Yeah, Pyr?" he said somewhere past the wood.

"I love you, too."

…

When Pyrrha finally emerged downstairs, she found Ren and Nora waiting in the sitting room, her mother preparing a light lunch at her own insistence, and Jaune outside calling Bar. According to Nora, Claire had sounded " _really_ interested in something", and Pyrrha felt a pang of guilt at her little stunt this morning; in her sleep-addled state, she'd thought it rather funny. But, Jaune returned with his head still attached to his body, though far more pink than normal, and her mother emerged with a chicken soup to combat the winter's chill. She decided that the suspicious eye the woman kept on both herself and Jaune was excessive, though; really, did she think she was going to sit in his lap and feed him soup?

"Pyr" filed that idea away for a later date, but Jaune managed to save her from herself.

"So, I guess we need to go see the Headmistress today?" He asked his soup nervously. "To let her know we're going to Mistral?" Ren, Nora, and Thetis all looked to him quickly, while Pyrrha felt a strange mixture of pride and guilt.

"You're all coming along then?" Thetis inquired, checking with Pyrrha for assurances. She nodded hesitantly, and Thetis turned back to Jaune. "Well, I'm quite pleased to hear this, Jaune. I'd booked a berth on a ship leaving Vale at the end of the month, but I'm sure it won't be an issue to do the same for all of you." Her mother had visibly brightened at the news, and Jaune looked up from his meal. Where she had feared to see resignation, she saw determination: that same fire that burned in Jaune when they sparred.

"Thank, Thetis," he said lightly, "I appreciate the help." Her mother waved it off. "We'll need to let the staff know, though. I just got off the phone with my Mom, but my dad needs to know too." Her mother, blessedly, did not show any sign of anger at the mention of Nicholas Arc.

"Jaune, I understand perfectly: it takes time to get things like this in order! I have the day off, so if you need any help, I'll be available." She smiled politicly, expecting and receiving Jaune's polite decline. They spent some time discussing the timetable for their departure, plans for packing and provisioning, but JNPR rose to brave the day once they had finished eating. A snowstorm had blown in last night, leaving a fresh new layer on the ground, but their car arrived easily enough, and Pyrrha had her wonderfully warm jacket to keep away the chill.

The ride to the Beacon office wasn't an unpleasant one, but she took a hold of Jaune's hand, trying to soothe his tensions before a meeting he'd likely not enjoy. Nora laid out in no uncertain terms that Pyrrha had to take them on a food tour of Mistral the moment they arrived, and began to wax rhapsodic over the fabled food carts of her home kingdom. The sheer ridiculousness of it all kept them feeling upbeat.

A short wait in the lobby, and JNPR found themselves returned, for what felt like the millionth time, to Miss Goodwitch's line of stools. The older woman watched them expectantly, eager to know if she would have allies in her fight.

"Professor," Jaune began in his most commanding voice, "we'll do it."


	31. Heart to Heart

**A/N:** Aaaaaand We're back! Good to see all of you, sorry for the delay on this one. Lets get on with the story, shall we?

Thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter thirty-one!

* * *

Pyrrha and Jaune were sequestered at a small table in one of Vale's few quality Mistrali restaurants, the Jasmine Dragon. The white walls were pattered with meandering green patterns, reminding Pyrrha of the lower quarters of her home city, despite the bitter cold visible out the windows. Shuddering at the reminder of the fading winter, she returned her attention to the hot, half-eaten gyro on her plate and Jaune's warm grin. Across from her, Jaune took a ridiculously large bite of fish; the order his proclaimed first step to getting ready for Mistral.

"Sho," Jaune began with his mouth still full. She arched her brow in a manner Blake had taught her, and he swallowed his bite sheepishly. "Sorry. So, what's Haven like? My choices for Academies were _kinda_ limited, so I didn't do much homework, but you've been there before, right?" He leaned forward intently while she took a sip of his tea.

"I've only been once, on my official visit, so I'm hardly an authority. If there were any of them left, we'd be better off catching some of the Haven students." Jaune shrugged off their chances of catching any of the other school's students, and Pyrrha dug into her mind. "It's much more compact than Beacon, space is always an issue in Mistral. The CCT Tower is on campus, though it's two towers in Haven, with the school's main two buildings joining them to form the main courtyard. Classes are taught in the main hall and the halls behind it, while the dormitories surround a garden and the school's main entrance."

"Why's the CCT two different towers?" Jaune asked politely, and it was Pyrrha's turn to shrug.

"I think it was just for aesthetic purposes; it didn't seem efficient to me. Though, given what's happened here, I can't say it has _no_ benefits." Half the Vale CCT was in ruins, and what remained had a Grimm frozen to it, courtesy of one Ruby Rose. Jaune hummed in agreement, scooping a bite of his noodles. "The buildings are mostly upper Mistrali designs, and the main hall is this massive green and wood affair. Unlike Beacon, though, it's in the city; a line of trees here and a curtain wall there to make it _feel_ cut off, but it's in the heart of the First District."

A curious look crossed Jaune's face then, and he held up finger for a question. "Didn't you say you grew up in the Fourth?" She nodded slowly, remembering she'd not explained much of Mistral to Jaune. "So, that's how Mistral is laid out? Districts?"

"Yes, but vertically. The First District is the top of the city, while the Fifth is the base. Mother and I live in the Second now, but we were living in the Fourth, yes." She took a nervous sip: "In Mistral, money rises to the top, Jaune." Jaune made a brief "oh" face, catching her meaning, but he didn't comment.

"Well, I guess it'll be easy getting to the school then. Should we stay on campus, or at your house? Haven probably has visitor dorms." He thought for a moment, then shook his head, answering his own thought. "They won't be back in session, we're better off at your place." She nodded absently, enjoying her own food for a turn as Jaune considered their plans.

Between one bite and another, however, a thought struck her. "Have you told your father about us leaving?" Jaune, examining a map of Mistral on his scroll, tensed in a way that spoke far louder than anything he could say. "Jaune…" she said warningly.

"I will!" He protested. "I already told Mom and Blanche, after all. Its just, he's busy right now: I don't want to bother him."

"Jaune, we're leaving Vale in less than a month, you need to give him some warning." He always let himself get carried away in his plans; the last thing she wanted was for Jaune to run off with her to Mistral, and leave Nicholas scratching his head. "If you call ahead, I'm sure he can see you; if Miss Goodwitch can make time, your father can." He scratched his head nervously, but nodded his agreement.

"I'll call, I promise." She nodded confidently, knowing he would keep to it now. Jaune, however, leaned across the table conspiratorially. Grinning, she leaned towards him as well, resting her chin in her palm. "So, we have the rest of the afternoon to ourselves." His eyes danced, and she could feel her own mirroring them.

"We do." She replied, voice full of innocence.

Jaune smiled wolfishly, then, waving a hand to catch a waiter's attention. "Have anything in mind?"

She returned his toothy grin, resting her free hand atop his. "Why, I believe I do, dear."

…

Pyrrha locked her hands around Jaune, briefly feeling the hard muscles of his stomach, before pulling him off-balance and dropping him to the training room floor. Briefly dazed by the collision, Jaune was helpless as Pyrrha wrapped him in an armbar, her legs holding Jaune's head and chest down. He began to roll to the side, but she managed to hook his near leg before adding the pressure carefully to his arm. Jaune bucked in the pin, but she held firm.

"Call it, Jaune!" She said, voice strained by the effort to keep him pinned.

Jaune let out a frustrated grunt, but his free arm slapped the mat three times, announcing his forfeit. Pyrrha let go of her partner's arm, collapsing against the floor with an explosive sigh. She could see him roll onto his side in her peripheral, and she turned her head towards him. His shirt was thoroughly soaked in sweat, and she could feel she was hardly better, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

"Ya know", Jaune asked as he gulped down air, "I thought we were gonna get up to something else." Pyrrha laughed lightly between breaths at his mildly disappointed expression.

"Keeping up with our training is important, Jaune." She prodded his shoulder with a foot, turning slightly to face him. "Besides, perhaps I wanted you to earn a prize?" Dripping with sweat, her hair matted to her skin, Jaune watched her as if she were the most beautiful woman in existence. It was an intoxicating expression.

Jaune rose to his knees, taking a hold of her foot and beginning to slowly rub it. He might not have been a masseuse or a trainer, but he _was_ attentive. "Does that mean you've won a prize, then?" One of his hands moved down her calf before retreating to her foot again. Pyrrha was trying to put together some kind of response when a scroll began to ring. Much to her annoyance, it was her tone. With a very put-upon sigh, she retracted her foot from the grip of an annoyed Jaune, and moved back to the table they'd left their scroll resting on.

Surprised to see who was calling, Pyrrha slid back down between the table and door before answering the call. "Blake? How are you?"

Her black-haired friend was wearing what looked to be one of Yang's spare scarves, a burnt orange, and appeared to be on a bus or something. Blake got a good look at her, and Pyrrha saw her friend's bow barely twitch.

"Hey, Pyrrha, did I catch you at a bad time?" Pyrrha refrained from telling her yes, but instead shrugged.

"Jaune and I were sparring, it's alright."

Blake looked off to the side, calling out: "Hi, Jaune."

Jaune, still seated in the middle of the room, waved towards her scroll. "Hey, Blake."

Blake refocused on her then: "Sorry for interrupting couple bonding time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jaune asked in an nervous tone that had Pyrrha suppressing a giggle.

"You two were sparring, and Pyrrha's Mistrali, so-" Pyrrha flicked her thumb across the camera, drawing Blake's attention back to herself. Her friend gave her an arched look, but blessedly changed the topic. "Never mind. I wanted to call you guys and give you an update."

Jaune made his way over, settling himself cross-legged in front of her, resting back on his hands. "Something going on? Rose and Verte got to Patch okay, right? They called me when they landed." Blake waved Jaune's question off though.

"They're fine, we helped them unpack the other day, but… well, we left." Pyrrha saw her own surprise mirrored on Jaune's expression over the screen.

"You left?" She asked. "As in, Team RWBY?" Blake nodded an affirmative.

"Yeah, we're on an airship right now. We talked about it, and-" Blake was interrupted a second time as someone jammed their head towards the screen, pushing Blake aside.

"Who is it?" Ruby said excitedly, quickly taking up the entire screen. "Pyrrha!" She cheered.

"Hello again!" Pyrrha returned warmly. Jaune took hold of her foot again; she idly pulled it back, but he mouthed "I'll be good", and she extended it back into his grip. "Blake, you were saying something?" Ruby smiled nervously, but let Blake take back the lead.

"Team RWBY are mobile: we decided to take care of a little something."

"Our _own_ mission!" Ruby said proudly.

"We're going to Atlas, to-" This time, a mass of golden hair shoved its way onto the screen, and Pyrrha was greeted by a cheery-eyed Yang.

"Sup, Pyrrha! Have you heard about all the sick training I've put in? I'm so good, I can do it all one-handed!" Pyrrha felt herself turn to stone. Blake and Ruby petrified in the corners of the screen as well.

Jaune paused in his ministrations to groan _loudly_ ; "Yang, that was terrible." Much to her relief, Yang cracked a wide grin at the comment, sticking her tongue out for Jaune.

"Oh, everyone's a critic." A scarf wrapped over Yang's forehead, then, pulling her away from the screen. As her partner fumbled at the covering wool, Blake again focused on the scroll. To Pyrrha's satisfaction, Jaune began work on the other leg as well.

"We're going to Atlas. We've got a few errands to run, and we need to make a stop off in Mantle before we go." Very obviously, one of those errands was a diminutive teammate with white hair, but Blake was pointedly _not_ saying so. She looked to Jaune, working his way along her right calf, to see if he noted.

"Monitored calls." He again mouthed, frowning slightly.

" _The main CCT is down, but our calls are still being processed. They're worried someone may listen in?"_ It seemed rather paranoid, but this _was_ Blake they were talking about. Pyrrha smiled and nodded, using her free hand to momentarily push her hair into a rough mimic of Weiss' ponytail. Blake nodded in return, and Jaune hit a particularly tense part of her calf, and a wonderful easing ran up her leg.

"JNPR," Pyrrha coughed politely, embarrassed by the high tone of her voice, "JNPR actually have a mission as well." She tried to ignore the keen-eyed look Yang was giving her, instead focusing on Blake and Ruby. "Professor Goodwitch has asked us to got to Mistral and help the headmaster of Haven." In response, Blake rested a finger beneath her eye, letting her hair fall forward; a fair impersonation of the woman Cinder Fall. Pyrrha signaled her own agreement, and RWBY exchanged looks.

"I don't know if we'll be able to catch up," Ruby began unsurely, "but I hope everything goes alright for you guys. You can take whatever comes your way, I know it." She finished with such confidence, however, Pyrrha nearly felt compelled to sit up straighter. Ruby has an odd effect like that, from time to time; she supposed that was why she was a leader.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ruby." Jaune called. His hands slipped past her knees, and she gave him a meaningful look. He returned it was a shy grin, and began to work his way back down her legs. "And I know you guys can handle Atlas easy. They'll never see it coming." Pyrrha alone was audience to his eye roll: "Team RWBY" and "Stealth" were not common fellows. Team RWBY, however, were not aware of this, and the sisters grinned maniacally from either side of Blake.

"Sooo, we're already mobile, when does JNPR hit the road?" Yang asked, gesturing towards the window behind her.

"The end of the month: we're taking ship with my mother." Yang pouted, oddly enough.

"Aww, no alone time for the happy couple?" Blake elbowed Yang, giving Pyrrha an apologetic look. "What? With Pyrrha's Mom around, I don't think they get a lot of cuddle time."

"We manage!" Jaune called, resting both of her legs on his lap gingerly.

"Well, we should leave you to it!" Yang laughed back, pushing against Blake. "Where's Ren and Nora? Hot date?"

"Helping Professor Peach archive student logistics." Pyrrha corrected, and all three girls shuddered. "We're off the mission board, in anticipation of leaving, but we offered to help the professors. I think Nora and Ren were expecting something more… explosive?" But really, the teachers wouldn't give two first years a combat mission.

"We should give them a ring, break 'em out of their monotony." Yang said, reaching for the scroll.

"But Yang, I haven't gotten to talk to Jaune about his sisters! Verte and Rose are _sooo cute!_ Ruby pleaded, also reaching for the scroll. As both girls fumbled for it, Blake gave her an apologetic look right before the call dropped.

"Well…" Jaune hummed lightly in agreement. His hands worked the soles of her feet, the pressure sending a tingling running up her legs. "I do hope they don't do anything _too_ drastic." Jaune snorted lightly, and Pyrrha rested her face in her palms. "They're going to do something terribly drastic, aren't they?"

"Pyrrha?" Jaune asked politely, drawing her from her embarrassment. "What was Blake talking about when she said you were Mistrali and we were sparring?" Pyrrha fought the urge to replant her hands in her face, instead focusing on the ceiling.

"Oh, it's nothing." Even _she_ didn't believe her tone. When she'd first asked to spar with Jaune, she hadn't meant it _that_ way.

Mostly.

"Doesn't sound like nothing…" She could _hear_ his grin, damn him. "You sure you don't wanna tell?"

"It's nothing to fret about, I promise." She tired again, in vain, to put him off. Jaune's careful pressures stopped then, and one arm wrapped around her calves. His fingers began to tickle the base of her feet, and she started to writhe in place. "Jaune!" She shouted through the laughs, but he paid no heed.

"Say uncle, Pyr!" He called, redoubling his efforts as she tried to buck her legs free. She felt his legs cross hers in a light pin, the feathery touch of his fingers flying.

Pyrrha Nikos would _never_ say uncle: _"This means war, Jaune."_ She thought as she snorted and giggled uncontrollably.

* * *

Jaune shuffled uncomfortably at the last checkpoint into the Valish Defense Force's office. Soldiers in the dark greens he'd seen most of his life stood at attention by the doors, bustled here and there importantly, and stood in line with him. He unconsciously straightened his black Beacon hoodie, resting his hand on a belt that carried no weapon. He didn't see his father waiting on the other side of the checkpoint, and supposed he'd find him buried under paperwork in some office.

He'd kept his promise to Pyrrha the other day, and called his father, asking to come see him. Nicholas had agreed, promising to make the time for a talk, but Jaune hadn't told him the specifics. To his surprise, it seemed neither Blanche nor his mom had passed the news along. He presented his ID to the guard, turned out his pockets, and was subsequently waved through. After getting directions, twice, Jaune found himself stepping into the offices of the Blizzard Brigade, his father's command. Standing up straight, Jaune opened the door.

Just like in the halls, men and women in uniforms moved briskly through the open space, though others worked diligently at desks. Jaune was promptly noticed by an older man beside the door, who approached him through the mass. "Mr. Arc?" He questioned. Jaune nodded, offering his hand to the older man.

"Yes. Jaune Arc, pleasure to meet you." The older man took his hand in a steel grip. Literally: the cool prosthetic flexed around Jaune's hand roughly.

"Major Pewter, pleasure's mine. Your father told me you'd be coming by, good to see you're a timely one." He retracted his hand, and Jaune discreetly flexed his sore fingers. The older man continued. "If you would follow me, I'll take you to his office." Jaune moved in the man's wake as they deftly dodged staffers, moving to the back of the large space. The Major knocked hard on a door, and Jaune faintly heard his father call for them to enter.

Pewter opened the door for him, but rested a hand on his shoulder before Jaune could step by.

"Your father only managed to set aside half an hour, I'm afraid: there's a general staff meeting today. I don't mean to rush you, but…"

"I understand," he said easily, "duty calls?" He'd always hated that line growing up, but now that _he_ had duties… Pewter smiled apologetically, then waved him in. Jaune's father had risen from his desk, strewn with papers and coffee mugs, and smiled broadly when he stepped through the door.

"Jaune!" They hugged briefly before his father pushed him towards one of the room's chairs. "How are you doing, son? The team well? Pyrrha?" His father collected one of the mugs and moved towards the small pot in the corner.

"I'm doing good, dad. Team's doing alright, and Pyrrha too. We got to have a day to ourselves earlier, which was nice." Jaune idly thought his father could probably just have _asked_ someone to get him a drink, rather than keep a private pot in his office, but he was fairly certain that Nicholas Arc's veins carried more cream than blood, let alone coffee.

"Have a romantic little getaway?" His dad asked playfully, offering a cup which Jaune declined. He sat down next to him, sipping contentedly. Jaune felt the bruises on his back from a particularly hard takedown, and smiled back.

"Something like that. You've been good?" His fathers lean face soured, though.

"Been less than ideal, I'm afraid. First, the Atlesian detachment left. And then, the Mistrali started pulling out. I can understand it, the country's had it rough, but it puts a strain on our resources." His father let out a long-suffering sigh, relaxing into the chair. "A lot of the Hunters are going too: better contracts in Anima. Half of Vale is still crawling with those damn beasts, and people are already moving to the next crisis."

Jaune gulped nervously.

"Ah, don't mind me, Jaune. You needed to see me about something?" His father grinned at him, winking. "I don't need to find your grandmother's ring, do I?" Jaune sputtered his denials for what felt like a solid minute, his devil of a father laughing the whole while. When Jaune finally regained his composure, he found it hard to focus on his father.

"Son," his dad asked in a concerned voice, "What is it?"

"Well…" He tightened his grip on his knees, looking back to his old man determinedly. "Team JNPR has a mission. At Haven." There was a long silence. Jaune could _feel_ the awkwardness pooling around them.

"Well then…" His father eventually said, helplessly.

"Dad," Jaune began nervously, but his father overran him.

"No, if you're doing it. You're doing it." Nicholas dragged a hand across his buzzed hair. "But… why? Why leave Vale, son?" His father looked genuinely hurt, and concerned beyond that.

Jaune let a disgruntled snort break out: "Trust me, it wasn't my idea. I wanted us to stay, but the team?" His father nodded solemnly.

"So, when do you ship out, as it were?" Nicholas had leaned back into the chair, watching his coffee as he swirled the mug.

"End of the month; we're taking a ship out with Mrs. Nikos." His father soured further at the mention of Pyr's mom, which was just _tremendous_.

"That her idea?" He asked gruffly.

"The ship? Yes. The mission? No." His father grunted in response.

"And what is the mission?" His father asked.

"I can't tell you, Dad." Nicholas Arc looked back to his son, hard-eyed.

"Pardon?" Jaune fought to keep his attention on the older man.

"I… I can't tell you, Dad. We have to go to Haven, we're helping Professor Lionheart, but I can't tell you the details."

"Jaune…" His father was obviously struggling to find the right words. "Jaune, I can't abide you being dragged into… whatever this is. You're eighteen! Yes, I know you're an adult, but you're too young for these kinds of things!" His father's voice had risen in righteous indignation, and Jaune could hear a part of himself agree.

But that wasn't who he had to be.

"Dad, I know. Believe me, _I know_." He leaned forward, trying to draw his father in. "But I can't back out, I can't leave my team behind." His father watched him carefully, his scowl softening slightly.

"You have a duty." He finally said, defeat clear in the voice.

"I have a duty." He mirrored in a soft tone.

The two sat there in silence for a long time, the only noise being the burble of the coffeemaker and the muffled sounds outside.

Eventually, his father stood up, draining his mug and resting on the corner of his table. "Well, your team wasn't even supposed to be back in Vale so soon, so I suppose it doesn't really change much. Make sure you write your mother, son: the CCT being a wreck is no excuse for staying out of touch." Jaune smiled sheepishly as he stood up as well.

"I will, Dad. We don't know how long we'll be gone, but I'll try to have us back for… you know, the thing." He waved a hand in the rough direction of Beacon, and his father grinned.

"Now, who told you about that? That's supposed to be a state secret!" He smiled at his dad's dramatic voice.

"Dad, anyone with a brain and a map of missions activity can see where the VDF is pushing. By the way, if you haven't read the repot yet, I can guarantee the complex off King's Square would be a good staging area." His father's face lit up at that.

"Was that _your_ team? Gracious son, how much a world beater is your girl?" He blushed a tad, more embarrassed that he'd let on about Pyr's ability. Thankfully, his father didn't notice. "Well, I did ask her to look after you: trusted the right person for the job!" he punch Jaune's shoulder playfully, and he smiled back.

"You did, Dad, you really did."


	32. Ships in the Night

**A/N:** Aaaaaaand we're back! I'll save all the crap for a post, so let's get tot the good part!

Thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter thirty-two!

* * *

" _Nora's right: packing sucks…"_

Boxes covered seemingly every space of the house, and she honestly wasn't sure how it had happened. They'd been here only a few months, for heaven's' sake! Yes, there were the clothes JNPR had acquired in Bar and in Vale. And what her mother had brought for her. JNPR had also acquired some sundries in both towns, too. There was their weapon maintenance equipment, and their general Hunter equipment. Camping gear, too. Doctor Oobleck had supplied them with textbooks to help them prepare for their "next year" at Beacon. Ren had gotten a spare tea set from Fox Alistair. Jaune and she had gone comic shopping incognito as well. Nora had been given an imitation Ursa-hide rug by Professor Port in lieu of payment for helping him on a patrol…

Okay, so maybe they _had_ gotten a lot of things.

" _Well,_ some _of us have a lot of things."_ She remembered grouchily, spotting the small collection of bags and boxes Jaune had made of his possessions in the hall: he'd be able to carry it all in one go. Meanwhile, she scanned the ground in her and Nora's room and saw a sea of brown cardboard. She refused to be defeated by something so trivial as _packing_ , however, and levitated her next round of packages out the door.

Her mother and Nora were busy breaking down the impromptu training room, and distant clanging told her Ren and Jaune were busy in the kitchen. A half-dozen packages floating in an orderly line, Pyrrha marched down to the foyer and laid her payload down carefully; most of these would be mailed home, JNPR hardly needed the clothes on hand, but some of it would come along on their ship to Wind Path.

There was a particularly loud banging from the kitchen, drawing her attention in time to see Jaune push through the door, scroll held to his ear.

"Sorry, Ren!" he bellowed, and Pyrrha had a glimpse of the black-haired boy surrounded by downed pots and pans before the kitchen door closed. "Rose? How's it going?!" Her partner spotted her and began making excited waving motions, so she followed Jaune to the living room. "The team's packing, we're leaving Vale in a few days, remember? Don't mind me, what's going on with you? Pyr's here, say hi!"

Jaune had taken a seat on the couch, and she moved to sit next to him, leaning in close to view the screen. Waiting for her was Rose. The young Arc had her hair pulled back in a bun reminiscent of Claire, but the younger girl was also in sweat-dampened athletic clothes. Behind Rose, Pyrrha could just make out the feet of what she presumed to be a resting Verte. "Hi, Pyrrha," Rose greeted, the tiredness her clothes implied plain to hear.

"Good evening, Rose," she replied pleasantly, settling more comfortably against Jaune. He rested his free hand around her unconsciously, still engaged with his sister.

"So, what's up? You and Verte have been training, yeah?" In the distance, she heard a Jaune-like grumble which was likely Verte; Rose, however, nodded solemnly.

"We just got back from our first day of pre-semester exercises: a few of the teachers in Signal run the program for students waiting on the island. Since Mr. Tai is _one_ of those teachers, we got signed up." Rose's world tilted precariously as the girl collapsed on the bed: groggy Verte was replaced with the linoleum floor beneath Rose's bed. "Don't let Verte fool you, she's on cloud nine right now. Mr. Tai even told her she had solid fundamentals for her footwork."

"Thanks, Jaune!" came Verte's tired voice.

"Thank Pyrrha!" Jaune called back.

"Thanks, Pyr!" Verte said obediently.

"Not a problem." She assured them. She focused back to Rose: "Beyond the training, how are you finding Patchwork? We didn't spend much time in town: Team RWBY kept us busy out of town." Jaune's sister shrugged lightly.

"S'okay, I guess. We don't get off school ground much, even with them not in session: they don't want unattended minors going too far. We've met some cool kids that'll be in our class, though. A couple of them thought it was super cool when they learned we knew JNPR and RWBY." She smiled deviously, then. "By the way, can you guys send me a few signed pictures of Ren?"

"Not on your life!" Called Nora as she staggered past the entryway, toting half a rack of weights: the heavy half, of course. The younger Arc scratched her head, nervously laughing the moment off.

"Signal's campus is nice, but I didn't expect it to be so much like school back home. I don't know, I guess I expected more fighty stuff? Like, the classrooms don't have any weapons in stuff in them, and the gym has the same blue mats as back home."

"Sanctum wasn't overly different from my primary school," Pyrrha offered. "Beyond the sparring equipment and the aura display screens, but neither was left lying about. I'm sure the school will feel martial once school is in full session." The prospect seemed to unnerve the girl, and Pyrrha wondered if Jaune wasn't the only Arc worried about their skill.

Jaune spoke up, and he too seemed to have caught Rose's change. "Well, if _I_ can make it at Beacon, you can make it at Signal! Even if I had a roommate slightly more useful than Verte."

"The worst, Jaune!" Verte groaned from beyond the screen, and Rose began to snicker.

"Seriously, Rose, you guys will be fine. Plenty of kids come to combat academies with no experience; Ruby was a terrible fighter before she got to Signal!" Rose, who Pyrrha knew had been impressed by the Vytal Festival recordings they'd brought to Bar, looked mollified. Her partner's eyes flicked to her, and she saw a sly grin quickly suppressed.

"I know this can be frustrating, and it can feel like so much effort to progress such a small amount. But, I want you to know I'm _proud_ of you." Pyrrha felt warmth bloom in her chest at Jaune's words, a preening Rose completely forgotten as she heard him repeat her own lesson. She took hold of his chin and pulled him into a kiss.

"Eww! Pyr, can you not get a gushy with Jaune when I'm around?" Rose gagged dramatically, and Pyrrha reluctantly released Jaune. Jaune looked completely shocked, but certainly not in a bad way. She winked at him, and Jaune pulled at his collar playfully.

"Didn't think it was _that_ good of a speech." Rose switched to vomiting noises, and Jaune coughed into his fist, trying to find some composure. "Well, it's nice to hear you two are settling in. Anything else going on?"

"Tell him about the outfits!" Verte yelled.

"I was _going to_!" Rose pleaded, finally sitting back up. "Verte and I went to a shop in town that does Huntress gear; we can't get weapons until we're in session, but we wanted to look the part." She waved a hand down to the sweaty tee, as if to prove a point.

"Well, I just wear my normal clothes?" Jaune replied, a mildly confused expression on his face, but Rose rolled her eyes.

"Well, yeah, Jaune, and you look _so_ great out there. Vi did you a solid with the gold trim, but you need to get more flair!"

"Give him a spare sash, Pyrrha!" The youngest Arc suggested, and Rose quickly nodded along. Pyrrha didn't mind the sound of that, either: they'd look like a matched set.

"Hey, Pyrrha thinks my outfit looks good!" Jaune called defensively, looking down to her.

Pyrrha forced on a very brave, very fake smile.

"Traitors, I'm surrounded by traitors!" He fell away from her dramatically, arm across his eyes.

"This is exactly why we ordered some outfits. We'll send you pics when they get here, but I got one word for you: combat skirts."

"That's two words, sis…" Jaune mumbled from behind an arm.

"Well, I am the smart one!" Verte yelled. Pyrrha nestled closer to Jaune, who almost immediately took hold of her again, his feigned hurt forgotten. She wrapped her own arms around his waist, hugging him against herself gently while his hand settled over her stomach.

"SO YEAH!" Rose talked over the other girl, glaring off camera. "New style for the Arc sisters, featuring our kickass emblems. Thank Nora for the help with those, by the way."

"You're welcome!" Nora once again shouted from the hallway, moving the other set of weights.

"So, things are in the clear here, what about you guys?" Rose asked, watching them expectantly. Jaune looked down to her, while she shrugged back up at him.

"We're gonna be out of Vale in a few days, but I think we're doing alright. _I_ had an easy time packing, at least." Pyrrha reminded herself it was considered bad form to put Jaune in a waistlock while he was in a call with family. "We're leaving for Wind Path by boat, which will suck, but there's not a faster way to travel without being military." Rose opened her mouth. "And no, Dad can't fly all five of us and our stuff to Mistral just because we ask nicely." Rose deflated slightly.

"Well, I hope you guys will be okay." She answered, watching the floor.

"I'm sure we'll be fine, Rose." Pyrrha assured her.

"We all know how seasick Jaune gets; make sure he brings mints."

Jaune again resumed her accusations of treason as Pyrrha giggled helplessly alongside his sisters.

* * *

It was raining, of course. It'd been raining for days now, and the forecast said it would keep raining. The open water would be choppy in the bad weather, and the ship would be swaying horrendously.

' _Juuuust perfect."_

Thetis was speaking with a steward, making sure their luggage was all on board, while his team watched the crowds continue to go by on the Vale docks. Jaune himself, however, was busy with an age-old tradition.

"You've got your wallet?" Blanche asked, holding onto his shoulders worriedly.

"Yes." She was always like this before a trip.

"You packed your clothes?"

"Yes." She'd once asked him if he had his shoes _while_ he was wearing them.

"That includes underwear, right?"

"Yes, Blanche, I packed underwear!" Jaune tried to shake her grip, but he'd let her grab on too firmly. "Sis, I have everything. I didn't even forget my partner at home, see?" He gestured to Pyrrha.

"Hello again!" Pyrrha said cheerily, deep hood hiding her face from rain and camera. Blanche rolled her eyes at the two of them, though he made sure to shoot Pyrrha an appreciative smile.

"I'm just worried. The last time you left, you didn't even tell us." She frowned up at him, his new height still a recent occurrence, as the rain sloshed off her cap.

"I'm still sorry for that, Blanche, but I'm not skipping out on you this time." He took hold of his eldest sister then, pulling her into a soaked hug. "I'll keep in touch, but you watch out for yourself too, alright?"

His sister laughed at his concern, though. "Me? I'm the one of us who spends all day at desks, Jaune! You're going off to go be in the thick of it again. Don't worry about me: Dad and I will take care of Vale, no problem. You go off and save the world, or something." She wriggled free of his grip then, breaking her hold on his shoulders. "I hear Winter Schnee's in Mistral, maybe you can get her to give me a call, for old time's sake?" He shuddered at the thought of asking Weiss' sister for so much as the time.

"I'm gonna have to pass on that one, sis." He stepped back, lining up with his team. Blanche moved down to his friends then.

"Take good care of Beacon, Blanche!" Nora gripped Blanche tight, and his sister squeezed back. "We'll be back to finish the job in no time."

"Looking forward to it, Nora." Jaune smirked, hearing the strain in his sister's voice. Nora let her go, and she offered a hand to Ren. "Ren, keep… doing what you're doing."

"Being the brains?" he offered, accepting her hand.

"Exactly." she said, laughing. Jaune, deciding he was fine being the cute one, let it slide.

"Pyrrha!" Blanche cheered, arms stretching round his partner. "I hope everything will turn out in Mistral."

"Thank you! And I've already promised at least three Arcs to look after Jaune!" She laughed, and he felt his own mirth rising.

"I'm sure you will." His sister agreed before leaning close and stage whispering into Pyrrha's ear: "After all, you did bag the cute one." He couldn't see Pyrrha's face, but he imagined she was blushing a little.

Naturally, he winked at her when she looked to him for support. _"That was for Pumpkin Pete."_ Jaune thought, totally not selling his girlfriend out.

* * *

The drumming rain echoed against the steel walls of her cabin, while Pyrrha sat in her bunk, trying to focus on her book. Their ship had been pulled out of its berth nearly an hour ago, but their actual departure from the Vale Port was tediously slow; Nora had taken off some time ago to "see if the buffet was any good", while she had opted for trying to relax. A good book in a quiet room could very often be quite a treat, but she simply couldn't focus, couldn't engage with the story. She'd read the last ten pages at least three times!

With a frustrated sigh, she rested the book on her bed, pulled her hoodie back on, shoved her hair down the back, and went in search of her partner. Her mother had booked three rooms on the upper levels of the ship, where the passageways were wide and decorated with secured paintings, the steel painted soft whites. Jaune and Ren's room was opposite theirs, and she knocked quietly on the sealed portal. She could make about a quiet shuffle just before Jaune threw open his door.

He looked uneasy, not surprising given their ship-bound state, but he smiled happily nonetheless. "Hey, how's the room?"

"They're fine, but a little dull; would you mind coming on a walk with me?" Jaune hesitated slightly, and she leaned forward pleadingly. "Please? You can't hide from your sea legs the whole trip, Jaune."

"Well, how am I supposed to turn down an invitation like that?" he said with a laugh, grabbing his own coat before stepping out with her. "Do we have a destination in mind? So long as I'm in sprinting distance of the rails or a trashcan, I'll be okay." She leaned against Jaune slightly as they walked, and he wrapped an arm around her: partly for support in the gentle rocking of the deck, but she was more than happy to lend him a hand.

"Just around, I thought. The outer deck has a covered level, so we could go outside as well." A bit of fresh air did sound rather nice, after spending so long cooped up out of the rain. Jaune hummed an agreement, and the two continued on.

The ship itself was rather crowded, the line to board had been absurdly long, but most of their fellow passengers seemed content to wait in their rooms for the moment. Looking about discreetly, Pyrrha pushed down her hood, enjoying just another bit of freedom as they walked.

"Am I ever going to get that back?" Jaune asked, looking at the oversized jacket she wore, Pumpkin Pete proudly displayed. She brought a finger to her lips, tapping in consideration.

"Hmmmmm… no?" There was a short pause where Jaune looked rather as if he'd been hit over the head, and she started to laugh at his expression.

"Next thing I know, I'm going to find your hair ties in my bags…" Jaune mumbled, squeezing her lightly, and she only laughed harder at his confounded tone. Jaune opened the door for her, and the two stepped out to stern.

The rain pounded onto the bay outside, Vale and Beacon beyond grey shapes in the storm. She could see the hazy forms of ships navigating around them, trying to find their way in and out and all around. On a whim, she closed her eyes and reached out with her mind: great masses of metal sounding back to her.

"I can sense them…" she muttered as Jaune pulled her ever so slightly to the side.

"Them?"

"The ships, I can sense them." Eyes still closed, she pointed a hand out to her side, following one vessel in her mind's eye. "A ferry from Patch is right there, it's clear as day to me." Unbidden, however, she felt the strange tugging of her new powers, and she opened her eyes.

The rain was bent.

She doubted anyone beyond Jaune and she would notice, but the rain curved away, opening a window in the storm. Jaune stretched a hand into the gap, and both of them watched the curious line where the rain halted drew a dark patch on his sleeve. Soon, the dark form of a ship passed before them, and both watched in silence as the ferry slid past her window through the weather. After a few long minutes, all that remained was the ferry's wake, and she dropped whatever hold she had. The rain rushed back into the void immediately.

"Well… that was different." Pyrrha muttered, and she felt her legs go weak. Jaune had thankfully not let go of her, though, and he bolstered her when she began to tip.

"Pyr? Hold on, let's sit you down." He half guided-half carried her to one the benches that lined the deck, resting her down gently before taking the seat beside her. "Where'd you learn that trick?"

She hummed her unsureness, still feeling fatigued.

"As cool as it was, you need to be more careful with that," Jaune said dotingly. She knew he wanted to do _something_ to help, but there wasn't anything the could do if she overstressed her powers besides wait.

"Scoot over, please," she asked, deciding she could calm Jaune's nerves and rest at the same time. Her partner moved down the bench slightly, and she turned to lay down, resting her head in his lap. "Much better." Jaune smiled dopily at her before beginning to slowly run his fingers through her hair.

" _Much, much better than a book,"_ she decided, feeling herself relax to the sounds of the rain and Jaune's gentle touch. Maybe she would just close her eyes for a moment, just long enough…

"Love you…" She heard Jaune whisper from above.

…

When her eyes opened again, she found Jaune looking off over the bay, hand still running through her hair. She shifted her shoulders, arms stretching out, and Jaune looked down to her.

"Nice nap?" he asked playfully.

"Mhmm, you make a wonderful pillow, Jaune. How long was I out?" He shrugged slightly, briefly checking his scroll.

"Not that long, really." The slight stiffness in her neck disagreed with him, but Jaune didn't seemed to hand minded. "We're almost out of the harbor: I've been watching Vale go by." She craned her neck to look; sure enough, the northern edges of Vale were drifting by on the horizon.

She reached up to take hold of Jaune's hand, gently returning both to her stomach. "We'll come back, Jaune, I promise." He kept watching the city's silhouette pass, but hummed his acceptance. He looked down to her, though, shaking himself free of the mood.

"Forget it. I'm not going away for good, it's just a job: we should say goodbye in style." He shuffled to the side, and Pyrrha reluctantly surrendered her cushion so he could stand. She watched with a bemused expression as Jaune flicked through his scroll, a pleased grin taking hold as he seemed to find what he was looking for. The blond set his scroll against the bench rail before standing, his foot tapping lightly until It was joined by a song. The music was soothing yet quick: an instrumental piece she didn't know.

"Jaune, what are you up to?" She asked, watching him continue to tap along with the relaxing beat.

He turned back to her, bouncing on his feet. "Well, ya see. I learned from a _certain ticklish partner_ that, in Mistral, Hunters ask one another to spar as a kind of flirting." She blushed slightly, remembering when he finally managed to make her talk. Jaune continued on, however. "Well, we do it differently in Vale."

Jaune offered her his hand.

"We ask them if they want to dance."

Her heart blossomed watching Jaune, his body swaying before the bay as the song rose in volume. She wordlessly accepted his hand, allowing Jaune to pull her up. He moved them quickly into a brisk tempo, steps quick and close as they moved across the deck. Instantly, she was back at the dance: a ruined night revived by a smile and a silly promise.

"By the way, which one of your sisters was it?" she asked as Jaune spun her.

"Hmm?"

"Which ones taught you to dance? That's what you meant by 'these things tend to happen', right?" He chuckled as he pulled her close for a moment for another spin.

"Blanche and Vi, mostly. Blanche needed help getting ready for her graduation, and Vi just loves dancing." The image of serious, quiet Vi thriving on the dance floor was an… odd one. Clearly, Jaune read her expression and let out a booming laugh. "The Arcs are full of surprises, Pyr!"

"Oh, don't I know it! I suppose I'll need to be more mysterious to fit in with all of you." She laughed, relieved that they were finally doing _something_ after so many days of preparation. But as the first song began to fade, she felt the ship accelerate, pushing past the bounds of Vale. Jaune and she steadied the other for a moment, a slower song beginning. He rested a hand on her hip, she laid hers lightly on his shoulder, the song rose and they began to sway slowly.

"I love you, Pyrrha." He whispered in her ear, hand flexing over hers. "I… thank you." She rested her head on his shoulder, letting him lead them through the graceful movements.

Over his shoulder, she could see Beacon's broken towers fading into the distance. They would come back, they would save their school. But for now? She turned her head away, focusing on her partner's serene face.

"I love you too, Jaune."

* * *

 **Post:** So ends the Vale Arc! Now, for the nitty-gritty: When a Plan Fails _will_ continue into v4 and v5, {I already have some plans for that) but it will not be soon. I have many story ideas that I'd like to write, as well as a certain supernatural comedy I've left grievously unattended, and it's hard to find the time when I feel obligated to keep my primary fic updating on at least a semi-regular basis. As such, WPF will be going on hiatus for an indeterminate period of time to permit me to explore other avenues. My author's page will be updating in the near future, and will then resemble an actual fucking page, future fics included.

I do promise to be back! This specific fic will update, not a sequel, so no fear. I personally expect to return some time in the fall or winter, but can't say until I have a grasp of how these other fics will progress. In the meantime, I plan to do some interludes to cover the open space. I know for a fact I will do a Weiss Interlude, but feel free to let me know what/who you have been dying to see, but have been so cruelly denied.

Thank you all so much for supporting this story. Over 300 favorites, 400+ follows, and 93k views; I never expected in my wildest dreams for WPF to become so large or so widespread, and it means a great deal to me.


	33. Interlude: Weiss' Story

**AN:** Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're back! I said many moons ago that I intended to return to When A Plan Fails, and here we are! Of course, i also said I would give Nevrospastos a bunch of love, and how did that go?

Still working on it, promise. I'm just a lazy ass.

But WPF! It's back! I've done some work on the plot for this arc, and but before we can get to that JNPR goodness, we still have a little bit of interlude work to do. But to take that first step down a long road...

Thank you for reading, and please enjoy: The Weisst.

* * *

Airy music flitted through the gala, barely audible over the susurrus of the partygoers. The buzz of their talking would occasionally be broken by the trill of laughter or the clink of crystal, but the sound of a hundred people talking of nothing dominated the room. Nothing, and worse, that is. Trapped to stand beside her father, Weiss was forced to listen to their meaningless, demeaning, prattle.

"-off Faunus the same wages as the rest of our mining staff; their argument is invalid right out of the gate." Her father scoffed.

" _Ignoring the fact Faunus make up over 80 percent of the mining communities, and those wages leave them virtual serfs…"_ Weiss mused, recalling long talks with Blake.

"Well, I think the bigger issue here is our society as a whole." One of father's associates countered, looking quite sharp in a suit worth a year's labor in those mines. Weiss opted to not enter the conversation, instead allowing her attention to drift; these galas had been stuffy even before she had left, but now?

Now all Weiss could see was the hypocrisy of these people. _Her_ people. Her wandering eyes fell upon the massive landscape of Beacon along the south wall, and Weiss began to turn from her father. A hand caught her before she had taken two steps.

"Where are you going?" Jacques Schnee asked sidewise.

"I'm… just a little thirsty." Weiss lied.

"Sweetie, we have _people_ for that."

"What? No, I can get it myself."

The two fixed gazes, a silent battle over this miniscule point waged in that gaze

"-promised jobs." Her father turned back to the conversation.

"I'm sorry, I tuned out for a second, sounds like I'm the good guy again?" As the sycophants laughed, her father dismissed her, and Weiss drifted through the ballroom. With each step, she was pulled within the painting. She strode back in time, to happier days. Running with her friends to get to class, sparring in the open air, simply lazing about in the afternoon sun.

She wanted it back. She _blazed_ with need, with an almost painful longing to be away from here and with them. In Patch, helping care for her team. Those two letters smuggled to her by Winter and Klein were more precious than any jewelry she owned, and just the sight of them pulled as hard as this painting. The chatter faded from her hearing, so too did the music, and her vision seemed to draw down to hold only this glimpse of Beacon.

"It's beautiful." And then someone intruded in her fantasy.

A flick of her eyes showed a young man not much older than herself leaning casually on the guardrail's post. Red and black clothes, with a seemingly useless chain on his belt matched by myriad rings. Rather than looking at the painting, he was eyeing her with a relaxed expression.

" _Here it comes…"_ She thought, counting down in her mind. _"Three… two…"_

"You two match."

" _No Weiss, you're not allowed to hit people for compliments."_ She sighed quietly. "Yes. It's a lovely painting." She did not turn to face him.

"So, that was my attempt at breaking the ice. How am I doing so far?"

She sighed louder this time. "You're leaving a lot to be desired." _"It's like Jaune when we first met, minus the innocent gullibility."_

He laughed nervously, and he should be nervous. "Well, I've always appreciated honesty. Henry. Marigold." He offered her his hand.

She stared at it.

Just as the pause became obviously painful, she extended her own hand. "Weiss Schnee."

A soft grip, but not in a gentle way. No, it was a weak hand that held hers. No callouses, no firm fighter's hold. Just a delicate, limp grip.

"I know, I saw your performance."

" _Obviously."_ She mused.

"Obviously." He said stiffly before coughing into a hand. "You were wonderful, and I'm not just saying that because you're pretty."

" _Oh God, he really can't take a hint, can he?"_ She turned back to the painting, thinking on Ruby's letters. Her team were in Patch where Yang and Ruby were recuperating. Their father and Blake were quickly becoming friends. Team JNPR had visited, and Pyrrha had finally managed to break through Jaune's incredibly thick skull. Things were going so well for them, and they wished her well!

" _Focus on them, Weiss…"_

"So… you thinking about buying it?" Henry asked, rocking the post gently.

Why would she need it? She was going to see the real thing again, after all, just as soon as it could be managed. Nor did she want to "give to the cause" of her father's charity gala; she had something better to offer Beacon and Vale than her money.

She had her sword. Her talent. Her drive.

"No. I don't think so." She would leave the fundraising to these clowns.

"Yeah, kinda pricey for a painting." Henry said dismissively.

"It's to _raise money."_ She said scornfully. _Occasionally_ helping charitable causes was about the only thing these people were good for! General Ironwood's towering form loomed by in the distance. Okay, so _most_ were good for nothing ese.

"Oh really? For what?"

Her brow twitched violently, and Weiss once again felt that homicidal twinge in her left hand. "For what?"

"Heh, I'll admit I only come to these things for the food and drinks." He swiped a drink from a passing server as if to prove the point. "And for the extraordinary company. Of course. So what, is it for another Mantle Fundraiser or something?"

" _You know, they really wouldn't_ miss _him, right? I could use that ridiculous chain of his, it's not like he's strong enough to stop me."_

Rather than commit homicide, she turned to face the idiot.

"Get. Out." She said in measured tones.

"Wh-what?" He said, a glimmer of fear in his eyes.

"Get out, or I will have security _escort_ you out."

"But I haven't done any-"

"You heard the lady!" An achingly familiar voice said from behind her, and Weiss spun away from the imbecile, refusing to believe her ears.

* * *

The three of them sat conspiratorially around the table.

Which Blake thought was fitting given they _were_ conspiring at the moment. They had a scattering of documents and drawings littering the tabletop, alongside a map of the Schnee Manor and their drinks and takeout.

Ruby smacked her hands onto the table, nearly spilling the coffee before announcing proudly: "Alright Team RWBY, Operation Weisst is now under way!"

Yang sniffed, mimicking wiping away a tear. "I'm so proud of you, Ruby."

"The Schnees have a party tonight, guys, and we're gonna snatch Weiss right from underneath them!" She jabbed a finger into the map of Atlas, pointing to a corner a few blocks from their motel before dragging it north to the Schnee Manor. "We'll rent a care here, drive up to the Schnee Manor, and that's when we'll split up. Yang, you've got a legal license for Atlas, right?"

"I know how to drive, Ruby." Blake narrowed her eyes at the response, but said nothing. Technically speaking she was a wanted criminal in Atlas, so who was she to complain. "I can get us up there without any issues."

"Great! We'll drop off Team A, then Team B continues on to the parking area on the east grounds."

* * *

"Name?" The gate guard asked.

"Schnee." Yang replied casually from the driver's seat. "Winter Schnee's guest."

The guard frowned. "Winter Schnee isn't even in Atlas."

"But she can still invite people. Check your list, I've got her plus one." The guard grumbled under his breath, typing hard onto his terminal. After a few moments he let out a controlled breath before flipping a switch.

"My apologies, go on through. Drop your passenger off at the front, then follow the valet." The gate swung open ponderously, and Yang threw him a glove thumbs-up as she drove in.

The arching drive leading to the entrance of Schnee Manor offered a perfect vista, the alabaster main building framed against the swirling black of an Atlesia night. Valets and ushers waited ahead beneath the illuminated portico, and Yang twisted to look back at her passengers.

"You ready?" She asked. Ruby and Blake exchanged nervous looks, but nodded.

"Ready." They responded in unison.

Arriving at the red carpet, Yang slowed gingerly and waited as the passenger door was opened and "Team A" was ushered out. A light knock warned her to continue on, and she pulled forward.

"And now for the fun part." She said with a vicious grin. She flexed her new arm and felt Ember Celica's new barrels split the white glove.

* * *

Ruby's finger once again traced the route, gliding from the parking area to the airfield. "Team B has to do two things: form a distraction, and steal a Bullhead."

"Steal a Bullhead." Yang asked flatly.

"Yep."

"And a distraction." Blake asked in an equally controlled voice.

"Yep."

"What kind of distraction?" Blake challenged.

* * *

Bruin straightened up from his relaxed slouch as he saw the woman approaching. A crisp black jacket and tight black pants along with an even tighter white shirt. Probably a driver with an outfit like that, but she glided across to him from the parking deck with a mischievous grin. She flicked back her mane of hair as she came to a stop next to him.

"How ya doin?" She asked with a playful lilt.

"Miss." He said curtly, trying to keep professional. Undeterred, the woman stepped to his side to lean against the wall like he had been.

"Never been up to this place before, any idea how long these shindigs last?"

Bruin shifted to his off foot to keep a bit of distance from her. "Usually go for a few hours. There's a break room to your right, most of the drivers wait there." She peered that way, but didn't move.

"Eh, sounds a little stuffy. Few hours, huh? Man, how come they get to have all the fun." She flashed him another smile, and Bruin felt… uneasy.

" _Is… Is this happening?"_ he thought, hoping the woman hadn't noticed him staring at what her crossed arms did to her chest.

"Like I said, most of the drivers just kill time in the break room." Again, the woman blew it off.

"Sounds lame." She looked him up top to bottom quite openly, her smile taking on a new edge. "I'm Raven, who are you?"

"B-Bruin."

"Got any idea on what I could do for some fun. Bruin." He coughed nervously.

" _What the actual hell is happening."_ A corner of his mind challenged. "Uhhhhh…"

"Maybe somewhere… private?"

" _Oh my god, this really is happening. Think think think!"_ Realizing he'd gone too long without speaking, he blurted a reply.

"There's an access hall, you can… follow me?" The woman winked, and Bruin hurried to turn.

" _Hey, idiot, what in the hell kind of sense does this make?!"_ a corner of his mind protested, but he was too flummoxed to pay it any kind of attention. Footsteps close behind him, and he fumbled with his keycard a few times before an affirmative chirp. He'd just begun to push the heavy security door open when Bruin felt something collide with the back of his skull. Falling forward, he cracked his head on the steel door and collapsed like a wet towel.

"Sorry, dude." Yang said from behind, reaching down to unclip is keycard, "but if it's too good to be true, well."

Poor sap safely tucked into the hallway, Yang strode back to the lot and her waiting car. She hadn't spotted any other guards, and cameras weren't really a _problem_. More exactly what she needed.

"Well that was weirdly easy." She said as she pulled open the driver's door. "Only guard's gone, got his key. Is our surprise ready?"

* * *

"Ruby," Yang said hesitantly, "I can't fly a bullhead."

"I can." Blake replied."Mostly. And I think I have an idea for a distraction…"

"Perfect! Yang drives you guys in, Blake flies, and you guys do something showy!" Blake and Yang clearly didn't seem confident, however. "What?"

"Ruby…" Blake paused, trying to decide how to say it. "If Yang and I are Team B, then you're Team A."

* * *

Weiss spun to face the achingly familiar voice. She was in a very modest dress, black that faded to crimson at hem and sleeves. She had been trying to strike a heroic pose, but was a little unsteady.

Ruby Rose.

Weiss threw her arms up and hauled her best friend into a crushing hug.

"I missed you _so much!_ " She said quietly into Ruby's ear as her partner returned the hug, holding her close against everything that had happened.

"Told ya we were coming." Ruby croaked. "Weiss, air!"

Someone cleared their throat meaningfully behind them, and Weiss released Ruby to turn. it was the buffoon still.

"Soooo, I guess you two are friends?"

Weiss studied the worm for a moment, trying to decide what fate was correct, but ultimately decided to be merciful. She didn't want to look overly cruel in front of her partner, after all. Instead, she took hold of Ruby's hand and spun away.

"How did you manage to get in here? Where is everyone?" Ruby hurried after her. Most of the guests were milling in the center space, so she steered them towards the outer edge and the nearest exit.

"Well obviously we came to get yo-ohhh!" Weiss' arm was wrenched hard as Ruby collapsed to the ground, but she managed to keep her own balance. Ruby was scowling angrily at her feet?

"Stupid lady stilts…" Ruby growled, pushing herself up to her knees. "Help me up, we don't have a lot of time!" Weiss recognized the edge of excitement in her partner's voice immediately.

"Ruby, what did you do." Weiss had a suddenly horrible feeling in her stomach. "You've set my house on fire, haven't you?"

Moving again, Ruby shot her a horrified look, but she didn't _say no_. "Yang and Blake are gonna buy us time, we gotta get you outta first!" They had managed to scoot past the last party-goers and were closing on one of the exits when Weiss asked again.

"Ruby, how did you get in here?"

Anther intruding cough brought Weiss' attention back to their surroundings.

Klein was standing in front of them, hands clasped behind his back and his face curled in mischief.

"Klein?"

His mustache twitched as his eyes flickered in glee. "Seems there's a plot afoot, Miss Schnee." He reached behind himself casually to slide open a false panel, revealing several of her travel cases, including Myrtenaster's!

"N' who would I be if I didn't help with a bit o' plotting?"

"Klein, I…" Weiss's vision grew blurry even as she closed the gap between ehr and and small man. Just as she had with Ruby, she threw her arms wide to encompass him. "Thank you."

He patted her head, gently rocking the two of them in their embrace. "Anything for you, Snowflake."

"Snowflake?" Ruby asked behind them.

"Not now, Ruby." Weiss said, still not releasing Klein.

* * *

"I believe," a voice came from behind Ruby just as a figure stepped ominously into the light. Short, incredibly so, with a rotund figure and balding pate, an older man with gleaming eyes stopped beside Ruby.

"That, is where I come in. Winter Schnee sends her regards and her blessing, misses."

* * *

"So… flying a Bullhead?" Yang asked, pushing the icy branches of the bush to the side.

"Yeah, you pick things up." Blake replied, peeking over the same bush into the courtyard. Yang snorted quietly.

"How do you 'pick up' flying?"

"You propositioned and suckerpunched a guy ten minutes ago, Yang, are you _really_ trying to do this?"

"Well Weiss isn't here yet, I feel like I gotta fill the role. So come on, say it!"

Blake sighed dramatically. "I learned it the same place I-"

An explosion ripped through the quiet of the night, the echoing roar of the flames spinning every person in the courtyard to look towards the distant parking deck.

"I learned to make carbombs." Blake finished.

Shouting filled the courtyard, the armed guards gesturing furiously at the others present. The civilians scurried to the doors as instructed, while most of the guards rushed forward to investigate and help contain the issue. Yang watched the two guards left behind with an almost pitying expression before being elbowed by Blake.

"If you invite them over for a good time, we can be gentler."

* * *

"I knew it, you really are setting my house on fire."

"Weiss-"

"I _like_ this house, Ruby." Ruby gave her a disbelieving look. " _Usually._ "

"Miss," Klein interrupted, "we don't have time, we need to get moving." He pulled both of them towards the servant hall and the three disappeared behind the disguised door.

Her heels were embarrassingly loud on even the carpet as the three hurried through narrow halls, clutching her cases close. Staff would stop where they stood to stare as she passed by, the privacy of this space destroyed by the sight of a Schnee, but Weiss had no time for the crisis.

"Where are we _going_?" she asked breathlessly.

"Airfield!" Ruby tossed back gleefully

"What, are we stealing someone's ship and flying off into the sunset?"

"Duh!"

"Ruby! Rose!"

"Ah!" Klein panted as he lumbered beside her, "Perhaps you should," a deep gasping breath, "consider what your friends have gone through," yet another pant, "to arrive here?"

So scolded for her scolding, Weiss refocused her mind. "Is the pilot trustworthy?"

"So long as we don't leave her alone with the fish dinner!"

"Since when does _Blake_ know how to fly?"

* * *

Outside the cockpit, Blake could see Yang firing her gauntlets into the space above the hapless guards, shouting maniacally as stone and plaster rained down on them. They'd knocked out the remaining guards and Blake had learned her partner's arm could be launched in the same instance, and while Yang had set up a perimeter, she'd been left to start the Bullhead.

Sat in the pilot's seat, Blake stared hopelessly at the intricate and complex control panel. It looked nothing like the rusting safety hazard she'd learned in beyond that chair and the wheel!

She looked under her chair, maybe there would be an operator's manual!

* * *

The sound of Ember Celica resounding down the hall only sped Weiss up, and the party quickly reached an exit. Rather than crash through, however, Ruby halted them just before it.

"Klein, you gotta stay here, we don't want you hurt or spotted."

The older man nodded, handing Ruby the cases he'd been carrying. "Of course, Miss Rose. I'll find myself quite preoccupied for some time, handling all of this."

"Wait, Klein you'll you be alright?" Weiss questioned. "All the staff saw you with me, won't father-"

A twinkle of the eye and a shake of his mustache, and Klein put her at ease immediately. "Nobody ain't seen nuffin, don't you worry." A few rapid blinks and far less mischievous eyes looked up at her. "But I suppose it will be some time before I see you again…"

"But I will see you again." Weiss assured him before giving a winning smile.

An engine roared to life outside and it sounded as if a wall collapsed. Weiss and Klein both flinched at the noise.

"And I'll have them apologize for the damages."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Ruby squeaked, fumbling to keep all four cases in hand. Klein chuckled as he took hold of the handle, and both girls tensed to run.

"Best of luck, girls." They nodded, and he yanked the portal open.

Weiss darted out into a madhouse.

Yang was firing wildly into the shattered remains of a second floor wall, long collapsed under her constant fire. She suspected this was meant for cover, as she could see crouching men in armor directly below said collapsed wall. Meanwhile, a sleek Bullhead which she _thought_ might be the General's spun in a wobbling circle, dipping gently from side to side.

Fly indeed.

Yang spun to fire on the opening door, or likely the wall above it, but halted when she saw them.

"WEISS! WELCOME TO THE PARTY!" She cheered before whirring back to suppressive fire.

"Come on!" Ruby yelled over the commotion, dashing towards the ship. "BLAKE! BLAAAAAKE!"

The listing, spinning ship continued to both list and spin, eventually letting Weiss get a glimpse of an incredibly flustered Blake in the cockpit, ears bent so far forward they could have covered her eyes. Ruby fired ahead on semblance powered speed, careening into the open hatch before firing back out shortly. She reappeared empty handed before her, and Weiss dumped her things into her hands.

"Ruby, hand me Myrtenaster!" she called, and by the time she arrived at the landing pad, her partner was tossing her the rapier.

"Need a hand in?" Ruby called down, but she shook her head.

"Yang!"

The blonde continued shooting up her courtyard.

"YANG YOU OX!"

The firing stopped and Yang made her retreat across the tarmac. A swing of her blade and Weiss laid out a series of glyphs, skating her friend to her side.

The taller girl reached in for a crushing hug, but Weiss lifted the sword into a guard. "Xiao Long, I know how to use this!" Her friend's reply was a massive smile before glancing above her.

"Heads up." She said causally, pulling Weiss forward. The smaller girl acquiesced, and the great turbine of the flyer bobbed through the space she'd been occupying. "Mind giving me some stairs?"

A short pair of glyphs floated into place, and both she and Yang bounded up into the hanger on the next pass.

"Doing well, Blake?" Weiss called to the front.

"Ahhh!" groaned Blake.

"Yang, Can you calm her down, I'll cover our exit." Weiss said, barely repressign a grin.

"Come on sis, kitty up a tree." the two sisters head to the cockpit, while Weiss took up position on the entrance. The ship's spinning gave her a sight of the guards' positions, and while they had begun to look over their cover, no one was yet firing. As luck would have it, the spinning stopped, leaving her in full profile of the guards.

Which was also how she saw the woman on the second floor with the rather ominous looking weapon slung over her shoulder.

"Blake…" Weiss warned.

"Working on it!" The brunette yelled back. "Ruby, don't touch that!"

The woman took a knee, bringing the weapon to rest most ominously.

Yep.

That was a rocket launcher.

"Blake!"

"WEISS!" she replied.

Weiss braced herself before driving Myrtenaster into the floor of the ship, focusing hard.

She felt the ship lurch hard beneath her as the engine roared. Were she not prepared, she may have tumbled out and into the snow. There was a triumphant cry from the cockpit as Weiss heard the report of the weapon firing. Even as the ship pulled up and away, the rocket hurtled towards them.

A glimmering sword swept down from above her, the flat of the blade swatting the explosive casually from the air. As they crested the walls of the courtyard, Weiss caught the eyes of that lone woman in the tower, jaw hanging slack in amazement. She gave her the most hauteur smile she could summon, a thing she'd seen crawling across the face of ever bootlicker and sycophant that filled the manor.

Schnee Pride had its places in the world.

She shuttered the hold door and made her way on uneasy feet to see her team. The ship again twisted midair as if a weight vanished from its roof, and she heard a squawk of protest from Blake.

"Everything going well in here?" Weiss asked casually.

Ruby was strapped down tightly in a chair, while Yang clutched another in a deathgrip. An incredibly uneasy Blake sat straight limbed in the pilot's chair, rigid as a board.

"Heh." Blake breathed, ears fixed forward in concentration.

…

"Girls." Weiss said to the tense room.

"Thank you."

Yang's fingers relaxed, and the taller girl finally turned to her, holding her arms wide. Weiss set Myrtenaster down in Ruby's lap before gracefully leaping up to crush the bigger girl in a hug.

"I missed you all!" She cried, and just as Klein had done Yang wrapped her arms around Weiss and rocked her gently.

"We're not going anywhere now, Ice Queen." Yang teased, and for once Weiss felt no compunction to complain about the name.

After a few more moments, Weiss let go and stepped up behind Blake. She gingerly wrapped her arms around her from behind, careful as to not startle her friend into crashing them into the barren, snowy waste quickly surrounding them.

"Good to have you back, Weiss." The girl eked through clenched teeth.

"Good to _be_ back, Blake." She said warmly. "And while I have many many questions, one is most pressing: where are we going now?"

* * *

"Okay, this is great and all, but what do we do after we get Weiss out?" Yang asked Ruby and apparently Weiss' butler. "We're basically kidnapping the most important girl in Atlas, even if she does wanna come with us? We can't come to Vale, we know there are Atlas soldiers in Mistral, are we heading to Vacuo? The Wilds?"

Ruby's winning smile dimmed a bit, and Klein shifted from foot to foot.

"Well…" Ruby trailed off.

"A fine point…" Klein mused. "Miss Winter in Mistral should be an asset! She's always been supportive of Weiss."

"No, Yang's right." Blake said sadly. "If we go to Winter, then she gets dragged into the legalities of this. Weiss isn't eighteen yet, it's kidnapping if her father says so, especially with SDC lawyers to back him. Winter can't help us overtly…"

"Then, Vacuo it is?" Klein asked. "I'll be sure to pack sunscreen for her."

"No," Blake muttered in thought, "The SDC has too much power even there, and we don't know anyone to help us." Blake made to speak again, but froze under the weight of her thoughts

A long silence, everyone watching Blake.

"You got an idea, partner?"

"I do, I just… I'm trying to decide if I'd rather die in the Grimmlands than try it…"

"Well it sounds like this idea is our only option?" Ruby pressed.

* * *

After an ominous silence, Blake finally answered her.

"Somewhere where no one will ever think to look, Weiss. Especially not the SDC."

That mystery left to hang over her, Weiss looked ahead. Into the black and white night of Solitas, the unrelenting snows of her homeland covering the rocky wasteland filling their vision. Leaving a bleak present to an unknown future.

But a future with her team was better than anything this place offered her.


End file.
